If you are a veteran in Virginia planning repairs or accessibility work on your home, here is the direct answer: Virginia does not run its own grant or loan program for veteran home repairs or modifications. The state's real benefit is a property tax exemption, and it has an unusual feature: it is written into the Constitution of Virginia, so every locality must honor it. Here is how the federal money works, what Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia adds#
Virginia's own agency for veterans is the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), at dvs.virginia.gov, with benefit-services offices statewide. DVS does not run a home repair, improvement, or adaptation grant or loan program of its own. Its benefits are mostly tax and service based, and the federal grants above still carry the construction money.
Virginia's real contribution is the disabled veteran real-property tax exemption. It is mandated by the Constitution of Virginia, Article X, Section 6-A, and codified at Va. Code Section 58.1-3219.5. The exemption fully removes property tax on the principal residence of a veteran the VA has rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total. It covers the home plus up to one acre of land, and more where the locality exempts more acreage for other groups. Because it is constitutional rather than optional, every county, city, and town in Virginia must honor it, which is the notable part. A surviving spouse may keep the exemption if the veteran died on or after January 1, 2011, the spouse does not remarry, and the spouse continues to occupy the home under the rules.
How to apply in Virginia#
Apply by filing an affidavit or written statement with your local Commissioner of the Revenue. Include the VA letter that documents the 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability designation. The exemption has been effective for tax years starting January 1, 2011, and the same date governs the surviving-spouse path. Because it is a constitutional entitlement rather than a funded program, there is no waitlist and no appropriation to run out.
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 Virginia with VA Builder ID Verified status →
DVS benefit-services offices, listed statewide at dvs.virginia.gov, help file federal claims, including VA Form 26-4555, at no charge.
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. Virginia's property tax exemption does not fund a project, but it removes what a fully disabled veteran owes on the home every year, which frees up money you can put toward the work.
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 dvs.virginia.gov and law.lis.virginia.gov in July 2026.
FAQ#
Does Virginia have a state program that pays for veteran home repairs or modifications?#
No. Virginia'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 Virginia?#
A veteran rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total by the VA pays no real-property tax on the principal residence. The exemption is required statewide by the Constitution of Virginia.
How much land does Virginia's disabled veteran tax exemption cover?#
It covers the principal residence plus up to one acre of land. Where a locality exempts more acreage for other groups, that larger amount can apply.
Who helps Virginia veterans apply for VA housing grants for free?#
DVS benefit-services offices, listed at dvs.virginia.gov, help file VA Form 26-4555 and other federal claims at no charge.
Find a verified provider near you#
Adapta Home USA's directory lets you search Home Modifications & Remodeling providers in Virginia 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.