If you are a Michigan veteran planning home repairs or accessibility work, here is the direct answer. Michigan has no state grant for planned modifications. Instead it offers one-time emergency repair grants, a full property tax exemption for qualifying disabled veterans, and free help from county veteran service officers. Layer those on top of four federal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grants for the complete picture.
The four federal VA grants#
The VA offers four home modification programs nationwide, and Michigan veterans qualify the same way as veterans anywhere else.
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) pays up to $126,526 in FY2026 for a severe, permanent service-connected disability. Special Home Adaptation (SHA) pays up to $25,350 in FY2026 for a lesser but still qualifying disability, and a family member may own the home instead of the veteran. Neither is a loan, and you apply for both with VA Form 26-4555, using SAH or SHA up to six times over your lifetime.
Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) applies if you are living temporarily in a family member's home. It pays up to $50,961 in FY2026 through the SAH path, or $9,100 through the SHA path. You can only use TRA once, it counts as one of your six lifetime uses, and it draws down your grant maximum. Congress currently authorizes TRA through September 30, 2026.
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) is a VA health benefit, not a housing grant. You apply through your VA medical center's Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service using VA Form 10-0103, with a provider's prescription. Service-connected veterans can receive up to $6,800 over a lifetime; other eligible veterans can receive up to $2,000. Renters qualify with notarized landlord authorization. Construction under SAH or SHA requires a contractor holding a VA Builder ID, a registration, not an approval rating.
What Michigan adds#
Michigan does not run a program for planned accessibility modifications. Instead, the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) makes one-time grants for short-term financial crises, and requests can cover utilities and shelter, including home repairs. It is crisis relief, not a modification program: you must show the grant resolves the emergency and that future expenses stay manageable. No grant maximum is published, and a county committee decides each request case by case. Planned accessibility modifications route through the four federal grants above instead.
Michigan's stronger benefit is property tax relief. Public Act 161 of 2013, codified as Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) 211.7b, gives qualifying disabled veterans a full property tax exemption on their homestead, not a partial reduction. You qualify through any one of three paths. The VA can rate you permanently and totally disabled at the 100% rate. You can hold a VA certificate of pecuniary assistance for specially adapted housing. Or the VA can rate you individually unemployable. Veterans who received an SAH grant typically qualify through the certificate path, so the two benefits stack directly. A surviving spouse can retain the exemption under certain conditions.
Two features are easy to miss. Since December 2021, a Peacetime Program extends MVTF eligibility to veterans 65 and older, beyond the standard 180-day wartime service requirement. And the property tax exemption is total, not a capped dollar amount, one of the stronger veteran tax benefits nationally.
Finding a provider who knows this program: Not every contractor has handled veteran home modification paperwork. Adapta Home USA verifies providers' VA Builder ID Verified status, so you can filter for professionals who have handled SAH and SHA projects before. Find Home Modifications & Remodeling providers in Michigan with VA Builder ID Verified status →
How to apply in Michigan#
Start with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) at michigan.gov/mvaa, or call 1-800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838). MVAA coordinates statewide, but your first stop in person is your county veteran service officer, who files federal claims, including VA Form 26-4555, at no cost.
For an MVTF emergency grant, your application goes to the MVTF committee in your county, which reviews the request and decides case by case. For the property tax exemption, file the required paperwork with your local assessor's office instead, since MVAA does not process that benefit.
How the programs stack together#
Use the federal grants for construction money, since none of it is repaid. Michigan's property tax exemption then reduces your costs every year afterward, and it can apply on top of an SAH grant through the certificate path. An MVTF emergency grant can help with urgent repair costs while a federal application is pending, though it is not a substitute for planned modification funding.
For more on the federal programs, see our VA home modification grants guide and VA grant decision tree. Our guide to paying for home modifications and wheelchair ramp cost guide can help you plan a project budget.
Figures on this page were verified against michigan.gov/mvaa and michigan.gov/taxes in July 2026.
Frequently asked questions#
Does Michigan have a state program that pays for veteran home repairs?#
Not for planned modifications. The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund makes one-time emergency grants that can cover home repairs during a financial crisis, decided case by case by a county committee.
Do 100% disabled veterans pay property taxes in Michigan?#
No. Veterans who are VA-rated permanently and totally disabled at the 100% rate receive a full property tax exemption on their homestead. So do veterans rated individually unemployable or who hold a VA specially adapted housing certificate.
Who qualifies for a Michigan Veterans Trust Fund emergency grant?#
Veterans with 180 or more days of wartime active duty and an honorable discharge generally qualify. Since December 2021, a Peacetime Program extends eligibility to veterans 65 and older.
Who helps Michigan veterans apply for VA housing grants for free?#
County veteran service officers, available in every Michigan county, file federal claims, including VA Form 26-4555, at no cost.
Find a verified provider near you#
Adapta Home USA's directory lets you search Home Modifications & Remodeling providers in Michigan and filter for VA Builder ID Verified status. Our wheelchair ramp cost guide can help you plan your budget.
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.
Program amounts, eligibility rules, and application procedures change. Figures on this page were verified against official government sources on the date shown, but you should confirm current details at VA.gov or with the administering agency before making decisions. Adapta Home USA is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency.