The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is intended to help veterans and service members 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 the Consumer Price Index (CPI), hopefully ensuring that the grant amount will continue to rise as the cost of construction increases.

PVA Position:

Congress must pass the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act (H.R. 2245/S. 1644), which will raise HISA rates to more appropriate levels and tie them to a formula that raises rates annually to help keep up with construction and labor costs for home modifications.