A veteran with a severe service-connected disability is often staying with a parent, an adult child, or another relative while recovering or while a permanent home is still being planned. If that family home needs changes to work safely, the Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant can help pay for them. TRA pays to adapt a home owned by a family member. The FY2026 maximum is up to $50,961 under the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) rules, or up to $9,100 under the Special Home Adaptation (SHA) rules. These figures were verified July 2026.
What the TRA grant is#
The Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant is part of the VA's Specially Adapted Housing grant family. It runs through the Veterans Benefits Administration housing grant process, not through VA health care. It exists for one specific situation: a veteran or servicemember is living temporarily in a home owned by a family member, and that home needs changes because of a service-connected disability.
TRA pays for adaptations the VA determines are reasonably necessary because of the disability. The veteran does not need to own the home. The law describes the eligible person as someone "residing, but does not intend to permanently reside, in a residence owned by a member of such individual's family" (38 U.S.C. 2102A).
The most important thing to understand about TRA is that it is not a program you qualify for on its own. It rides on the two main housing grants. Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) is the larger grant for the most severe disabilities; Special Home Adaptation (SHA) is the smaller one for a different set of conditions. To use TRA, you first have to meet the eligibility rules for one of those two grants. Which one you fall under sets your TRA maximum.
Current TRA amounts#
For FY2026, the TRA maximum is up to $50,961 for veterans who qualify under the SAH criteria, and up to $9,100 for veterans who qualify under the SHA criteria. Both figures were verified July 2026.
These amounts are not fixed forever. They reset every October 1 using the same residential construction cost index that adjusts the SAH and SHA grants. The statute sets base amounts of $28,000 for the SAH path and $5,000 for the SHA path, and the yearly index adjustment is what brings them to the current FY2026 figures.
One honest note on timing. Congress authorizes the TRA program in short increments, and the current authority runs through September 30, 2026 (Public Law 119-37). Congress has extended this deadline repeatedly since the program began. If you are considering TRA during FY2026, confirm the current status at VA.gov before you make plans. We re-check this page against official sources at each annual refresh.
Who qualifies for TRA#
There are two published conditions, and both must be true.
First, you are living temporarily in a home owned by a family member, and that home needs changes to meet your needs. "Family member" means a person related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption (38 CFR 36.4401). You do not have to own the house.
Second, you qualify for either the SAH grant or the SHA grant. This is where the disability rules come in. TRA is available to veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability that is rated for the conditions listed under the SAH grant or the SHA grant.
The SAH-path conditions, in summary: the loss or loss of use of both legs. Blindness in both eyes, meaning 20/200 visual acuity or less in the better eye. The loss of one leg together with residuals of organic disease or injury, or with the loss of one arm, where the combination affects balance or the ability to move. The loss of both arms at or above the elbow, and certain severe burns.
The SHA-path conditions, in summary, are: the loss or loss of use of both hands; certain severe burns; and certain severe respiratory or breathing injuries.
One caveat matters more than any other on this page: only the VA decides eligibility. The lists above are the published criteria, not a promise. Reading them and seeing your situation does not mean you qualify, and nothing here predicts what the VA will decide. There is no published minimum or maximum length for the temporary stay, and there is no published rule about whether a veteran can be listed on the home's title or deed, so this guide does not state either. The two conditions above are the tests the VA publishes.
What TRA covers and what it does not#
TRA covers adaptations to the family member's home that the VA determines are reasonably necessary because of the disability. Typical examples of accessibility work are ramps, widened doorways, and accessible bathrooms, though these are examples rather than a fixed VA list. The VA decides what is reasonably necessary in each case.
The real fine print is in the counting rules, and this is where TRA is easy to misjudge. Three rules work together.
TRA can be used only once. Unlike the main grants, which can be tapped more than once over a lifetime, there is a single TRA use available.
TRA counts as one of your six lifetime uses. A veteran may receive up to six grants of assistance under the housing grant family over a lifetime. Using TRA spends one of those six.
Every TRA dollar reduces your remaining SAH or SHA maximum. This is the point competitors miss. Your TRA use is capped by, and drawn from, the same lifetime aggregate as your main grant. If you qualify under the SAH path, the FY2026 SAH aggregate is $126,526. Spending the full $50,961 of TRA on a family member's home leaves up to $75,565 of SAH funds for adapting your own permanent home later. If you qualify under the SHA path, the FY2026 SHA aggregate is $25,350, so spending the full $9,100 of TRA leaves up to $16,250 of SHA funds. This is straight subtraction from the published caps; your own figures depend on what the VA approves.
That trade-off is not a reason to avoid TRA. It is a reason to size the request with your permanent plan in mind, which the timeline section below returns to.
How to apply#
TRA uses the same application as the SAH and SHA grants, VA Form 26-4555. Here is the order of steps.
- Confirm or establish the underlying SAH or SHA basis. Because TRA rides on one of those grants, the disability rating that qualifies you for SAH or SHA is what opens the door to TRA.
- Gather your information. You will need your Social Security number, and your VA file number or claim number if you have one.
- Complete VA Form 26-4555. You can apply online at VA.gov. You can also mail the form to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444, or bring it in person to a VA regional office.
- Wait for the decision. The VA processes the claim and sends a decision letter. You can check the status by signing in at VA.gov.
If you want free help with the application, an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) can walk you through it. Working with a VSO is general guidance, not a VA requirement, but many veterans find it useful.
TRA is a grant, not a loan. The VA presents SAH, SHA, and TRA as grants, which means there is no repayment.
Timeline and what happens after approval#
There is no honest day count to give here. No official source publishes an end-to-end processing time for TRA, SAH, or SHA decisions, so this guide does not state one. What we can say is concrete: the VA processes the claim and sends a decision letter, and you can track the status online at VA.gov.
The useful preparation is not watching a clock. It is confirming the underlying SAH or SHA eligibility and identifying the specific adaptations the family home needs. Doing that groundwork first is what keeps the process moving.
This is also the moment to think about the temporary-versus-permanent picture. TRA solves the immediate living situation: it makes the family member's home workable now. Meanwhile, a permanent project on the veteran's own home under SAH or SHA can be planned for later. Because TRA can be used only once and every TRA dollar draws down that later maximum, the household is better off sizing the TRA request with the permanent plan already in view.
Finding a provider who knows this program: Not every contractor has handled VA housing grant paperwork. Adapta Home USA verifies providers' SAH/SHA Experienced status and grant experience, so you can filter for professionals who have done this kind of work before. Find Home Modifications & Remodeling providers with the SAH/SHA Experienced badge →
How TRA combines with other programs#
TRA does not stand alone, so it helps to see where it sits.
The SAH grant (up to $126,526 in FY2026) and the SHA grant (up to $25,350 in FY2026) remain available for the veteran's own or future home, minus any TRA dollars already used and the one use already counted. If you expect to adapt your own home permanently down the road, plan the two together. Our SAH grant guide and SHA grant guide cover the eligibility paths and combining rules in full.
HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) is a separate benefit from the housing grant family. It is a VA health benefit, applied for on VA Form 10-0103 through the VA medical center, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the veteran's situation. HISA can fund medically necessary changes through the health care side rather than the housing grant side. Our HISA grant guide explains how it works and when it fits.
For the wider picture, our planned VA home modification grants overview maps the whole family, and a planned grant decision tree walks through which grant matches which situation. The VA also offers an automobile allowance and adaptive equipment benefits, which are separate from home adaptation and worth a look if a vehicle is part of the picture.
Frequently asked questions#
How much is the TRA grant for 2026?#
For FY2026, TRA pays up to $50,961 if you qualify under the SAH criteria, or up to $9,100 if you qualify under the SHA criteria. Both figures were verified July 2026 and reset every October 1.
Do you have to pay back a TRA grant?#
No. The VA presents TRA, like the SAH and SHA grants, as a grant rather than a loan. There is no repayment.
Can I get a TRA grant for a house I don't own?#
Yes, that is the point of TRA. It is for veterans living temporarily in a home owned by a family member, meaning a person related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption. The veteran does not have to own the home.
Does using a TRA grant reduce my SAH or SHA grant?#
Yes. Every TRA dollar is drawn from the same lifetime aggregate as your main grant. If you use TRA on the SAH path, the amount is subtracted from the FY2026 SAH maximum of $126,526. On the SHA path, it is subtracted from the FY2026 SHA maximum of $25,350. TRA also counts as one of your six lifetime uses.
Can you use the TRA grant more than once?#
No. TRA may be used only once, and that single use counts as one of the six lifetime uses available across the VA housing grant family.
What form do I use to apply for the TRA grant?#
VA Form 26-4555, the same form used for the SAH and SHA grants. You can file it online at VA.gov, mail it to the Claims Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, or bring it to a VA regional office.
Find a provider who has done this before#
The hard part of a TRA project is often finding a contractor who understands VA housing grant work, not just the construction. Adapta Home USA lists verified Home Modifications & Remodeling providers, including those who carry the SAH/SHA Experienced badge, so you can see who has handled VA housing grant projects before you reach out. Find verified home modification providers who have handled VA housing grant work →
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.