If you are a veteran in Mississippi planning repairs or accessibility work on your home, here is the direct answer: Mississippi does not run its own grant or loan program for veteran home repairs or modifications. The state's real value shows up on your property tax bill instead, through a homestead exemption tied to disability status. Here is how the federal grant money works, what Mississippi adds, and how to apply for both.
The four federal VA grants#
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers four grant and health-benefit programs nationwide, and Mississippi veterans qualify the same as veterans anywhere. Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) pays up to $126,526 in FY2026 for severe, permanent service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both legs or blindness rated 20/200 or worse. Special Home Adaptation (SHA) pays up to $25,350 in FY2026 for conditions like loss of use of both hands or certain respiratory injuries. Both are grants, not loans, so nothing is repaid. Apply with VA Form 26-4555; SAH or SHA can be used up to six times over your lifetime as funds remain.
Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) helps if you are living temporarily in a family member's home. In FY2026 it pays up to $50,961 through the SAH path or $9,100 through the SHA path. TRA can only be used once, counts as one of your six lifetime uses, and draws down whichever grant total, SAH or SHA, you qualify under. Congress currently authorizes TRA through September 30, 2026.
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) is a VA health benefit, not a housing grant, so you apply through the VA medical center's Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service with VA Form 10-0103 and a provider's prescription. Service-connected veterans can receive up to $6,800 over their lifetime; other eligible veterans can receive up to $2,000. Renters can use HISA with the landlord's notarized permission. SAH and SHA construction runs through a contractor holding a VA Builder ID, a registration, not an approval rating.
What Mississippi adds#
Mississippi's own agency for veterans is Mississippi Veterans Affairs (the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board), at msva.ms.gov, 601-576-4850, based at the War Memorial Building, 120 North State Street, Jackson. This agency does not run a home repair, improvement, or adaptation grant or loan program. Its listed benefits are the homestead exemption, a $1 license plate for eligible disabled veterans, veterans homes, cemeteries, and education benefits, with no repair or modification money attached.
Mississippi's real contribution comes through property tax relief. Any honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected total disability is exempt from all ad valorem taxes on the assessed value of their homestead property, under Miss. Code §§ 27-33-67 and 27-33-75. This exemption carries no assessed-value cap; it covers the entire tax bill, not just a portion of it. It also extends to an unremarried surviving spouse. That is broader than the separate exemption available to non-veteran homeowners with a total disability, which is limited to the first $75,000 of true value.
One distinction matters here: veterans rated individually unemployable, meaning 100% unemployability on a permanent and total basis, qualify for the $1 annual license plate under a different statute. Mississippi's state benefits page does not list individual unemployability as a qualifying path for the homestead exemption itself. That exemption requires a service-connected total disability rating.
How to apply in Mississippi#
Finding a provider who knows VA paperwork: Not every contractor has worked on SAH, SHA, or HISA projects. Adapta Home USA verifies providers' VA Builder ID Verified status, so you can filter for professionals who have handled this paperwork before. Find Home Modifications & Remodeling providers in Mississippi with VA Builder ID Verified status →
For the federal VA grants, Mississippi's Veterans Benefits Specialists and County Service Officers, covering all 82 counties plus offices at Keesler Air Force Base, Camp Shelby, Naval Base Gulfport, and university satellites in Oxford, Starkville, Hattiesburg, Long Beach, and Meridian, help you file VA Form 26-4555 and related claims at no charge. For the homestead exemption, file with your county Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1 instead, not with Mississippi Veterans Affairs. Your home must be owned and occupied as your primary residence on January 1, with the ownership instrument filed with the Chancery Clerk before January 7.
How the programs stack together#
The federal VA grants pay for the actual construction, so start there, since that money never has to be repaid. Mississippi's homestead exemption does not fund a project, but it can remove your entire property tax bill going forward if you carry a service-connected total disability rating.
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 msva.ms.gov in July 2026.
FAQ#
Does Mississippi have a state program that pays for veteran home repairs or modifications?#
No. Mississippi's contribution is a property tax exemption, alongside the four federal VA grants that pay for construction.
Do 100% disabled veterans pay property taxes in Mississippi?#
A veteran with a service-connected total disability is exempt from all ad valorem taxes on the homestead, with no assessed-value cap, under Miss. Code §§ 27-33-67 and 27-33-75.
When and where do Mississippi veterans apply for the homestead exemption?#
File with your county Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1, with the home owned and occupied as your primary residence on January 1.
Who helps Mississippi veterans apply for VA housing grants for free?#
Veterans Benefits Specialists and County Service Officers in all 82 counties help with VA Form 26-4555 and other federal claims at no cost. Find your nearest office at msva.ms.gov.
Find a verified provider near you#
Adapta Home USA's directory lets you search Home Modifications & Remodeling providers in Mississippi 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.