The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is intended to help veterans and servicemembers make medically necessary improvements and alterations to their primary residence. This includes improving the entrance or exit from their homes, restoring access to kitchens or bathrooms, and/or making other necessary upgrades to plumbing or electrical systems to accommodate home medical equipment. 

A lifetime HISA benefit is worth up to $6,800 for veterans who need a housing modification due to a service-connected condition. Veterans who rate 50 percent service connected may receive the same amount even if a modification is needed due to a non-service-connected disability. Veterans who are not service-connected but are enrolled in the VA health care system can receive up to $2,000.

HISA rates have not been adjusted since 2010 despite labor and construction costs rising more than 50 percent in the same timeframe. This legislation will increase the grant amount and tie it to an inflation index, which will hopefully ensure that the grant amount will continue to rise as the cost of construction increases.

PVA Action:

Congress must pass the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act (H.R. 3309), which will raise HISA rates to $10,000 for all veterans that are eligible for the HISA grant, regardless of whether they are service-connected.