Many veterans in Michigan own older homes that cost too much to heat, need structural repairs, or require accessibility modifications after a service-connected injury. Grant funding exists — at the federal level through the VA, at the state level through Michigan's weatherization and emergency assistance programs, and at the community level through We Want Green Too's Whole Homes, Whole Communities program. This guide covers all three and explains how they fit together.
We Want Green Too is a Detroit-based nonprofit founded in 2007 by Gloria J. Lowe. Our mission has always included U.S. veterans. WHWC delivers free whole-home repairs in Highland Park and East Detroit, and veterans in those communities are part of the people we're here to serve.
Federal VA Housing Grants: SAH, SHA, and HISA
The VA administers three distinct grant programs for veterans who need home modifications. They serve different needs and have different eligibility requirements.
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) is for veterans with specific permanent service-connected disabilities. The current qualifying conditions per va.gov are: loss or loss of use of more than one limb; loss or loss of use of a lower leg with lasting effects of organic disease or injury; blindness in both eyes (with 20/200 visual acuity or less); certain severe burns; or loss or loss of use of one lower extremity after September 11, 2001, preventing balance or walking without assistive devices. SAH helps veterans construct, purchase, or modify a home to accommodate severe mobility limitations. The FY2026 maximum grant amount is $126,526. (Source: va.gov, reviewed June 2026.)
Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) is for veterans with loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain respiratory or breathing injuries. The SHA maximum for FY2026 is $25,350. (Source: va.gov, reviewed June 2026.) Both SAH and SHA are grants, not loans. No repayment is required.
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) covers medically necessary structural alterations to a home — roll-in showers, permanent ramps, widened doorways, accessible kitchen and bath fixtures. The lifetime maximum is $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected disability, a compensable disability treated as if service-connected, or a non-service-connected disability when the veteran has a service-connected rating of at least 50%. Veterans without those qualifiers may receive up to $2,000 lifetime. (Source: VA Prosthetics page, prosthetics.va.gov.) HISA requires a VA physician's medical justification. It doesn't cover routine maintenance, portable ramps, hot tubs, or security systems.
To apply for any VA housing grant, visit va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/apply-for-grant-form-26-4555/ (VA Form 26-4555) or call 800-827-1000.
Michigan State Programs: WAP and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund
Michigan Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and LIHEAP and administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). It delivers free weatherization — insulation, air sealing, weatherstripping, and related health and safety measures — through local community action agencies. Income eligibility is set at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. (Source: michigan.gov/mdhhs.) WAP is income-based, not service-based. Veterans who qualify on income should apply. The MDHHS materials reviewed don't document a veteran-specific priority status in WAP, and this guide doesn't claim one.
To apply for WAP: contact your local community action agency or visit michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/weatherization.
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (MVTF) provides emergency financial assistance for wartime-era veterans facing unexpected hardship, including critical home repairs. Since December 2021, peacetime-era veterans aged 65 or older with at least 180 days of service and an honorable discharge have also been eligible through the MVTF 65+ Peacetime Program. Assistance is generally not available more than once per two-year period. (Source: michigan.gov/mvaa, reviewed June 2026.)
MVTF is for genuine emergencies — an unexpected failure that creates a financial crisis — not for planned improvement projects. WAP is for weatherization and efficiency. The two programs address different situations, and knowing which fits your need saves time.
To apply for MVTF: contact your county MVTF committee or call 800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838).
WWGT's Whole Homes, Whole Communities: Free Home Repairs in Highland Park and East Detroit
This is where a Detroit-area veteran's options differ from what any aggregator site will tell you.
We Want Green Too secured $8 million in funding for Whole Homes, Whole Communities through a settlement in a DTE case. That money flows back into Highland Park and East Detroit as free whole-home repairs: professional energy assessment, insulation, air sealing, equipment upgrades, health and safety repairs, and homeowner education. Homeowners in the program pay nothing.
Veterans are part of WWGT's founding mission. This isn't a general program that happens to accept veterans. Gloria J. Lowe built this organization in 2007 to serve Detroit residents and veterans, and WHWC is the direct expression of that mission in Highland Park and East Detroit today.
Homes improved through WHWC can see energy bills drop by up to 50%. For a household carrying a high energy burden on a fixed income, that's a real change in the monthly budget.
The service area is Highland Park and East Detroit. The program works through neighborhoods systematically. Contact us to learn whether your address is currently in the active service area and where enrollment stands. For context on free home repair and energy help in Highland Park, see our dedicated community guide. [confirmed=false]
How These Programs Stack: Which to Pursue
Veterans in Michigan don't have to choose one program and hope it covers everything. These programs aren't mutually exclusive.
A veteran in Highland Park with a service-connected disability rating could pursue WHWC (whole-home repairs, no cost, location-based), HISA (VA grant for specific accessibility modifications, disability-based), and WAP (weatherization, income-based) for different scopes of work at the same time. Each covers something distinct.
The practical decision logic:
- Location in Highland Park or East Detroit? Start with WHWC — it covers the broadest scope at no cost and doesn't require a disability rating.
- Service-connected disability with accessibility needs? Pursue SAH, SHA, or HISA in parallel, depending on the nature of the disability and what modifications the home requires.
- Income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level? Apply for WAP through your local community action agency.
- Unexpected housing emergency? Contact the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund.
These are parallel tracks, not a sequence. Applying to one doesn't block the others, and the scopes of work are different enough that multiple grants can address different aspects of the same home.
For a broader look at Detroit home weatherization: what's covered and how to qualify, see our weatherization guide. [confirmed=false] For information on green energy jobs and training in Detroit for veterans, see our ICAN program overview. [confirmed=false]
Eligibility at a Glance
| Program | Who Qualifies | What's Covered | How to Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA SAH | Veterans with specific permanent service-connected disabilities: loss or loss of use of more than one limb; loss or loss of use of a lower leg with lasting effects of organic disease or injury; blindness in both eyes (20/200 visual acuity or less); certain severe burns; or loss or loss of use of one lower extremity after 9/11 preventing balance or walking without assistive devices | New construction, purchase, or extensive home adaptation; FY2026 maximum $126,526 | va.gov or 800-827-1000 |
| VA SHA | Veterans with loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain respiratory or breathing injuries | Accessibility modifications for qualifying disabilities; FY2026 maximum $25,350 | va.gov or 800-827-1000 |
| VA HISA | Service-connected disability, compensable disability treated as service-connected, or 50%+ service-connected rating for non-service-connected condition ($6,800 lifetime); lower tier for other qualifying veterans ($2,000 lifetime) | Structural accessibility modifications (ramps, roll-in showers, widened doorways) | VA physician referral, then va.gov |
| Michigan WAP | Income at or below 200% of federal poverty level | Insulation, air sealing, weatherstripping, health and safety measures | Local community action agency or michigan.gov/mdhhs |
| Michigan Veterans Trust Fund | Wartime-era veterans; peacetime-era veterans 65+ with 180+ days of service and honorable discharge (since Dec. 2021) | Emergency financial hardship including critical home repairs; generally not more than once per two-year period | 800-MICH-VET or county MVTF committee |
| WWGT WHWC | Homeowners in Highland Park or East Detroit | Free whole-home assessment, insulation, air sealing, equipment upgrades, health and safety repairs, homeowner education | Contact WWGT |
SAH and SHA amounts are for FY2026, confirmed from va.gov. Both amounts adjust annually based on a residential construction cost index.
How to Apply: Next Steps for Detroit Veterans
For WHWC: Visit the Whole Homes, Whole Communities program page or contact us directly. We've been doing this work in Highland Park and East Detroit since 2007. Tell us your address and we can tell you where enrollment stands.
For VA grants (SAH, SHA, HISA): Apply at va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/apply-for-grant-form-26-4555/ (VA Form 26-4555) or call 800-827-1000. For HISA specifically, start with a VA physician referral documenting medical necessity.
For Michigan WAP: Contact your local community action agency or visit michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/weatherization.
For MVTF: Call 800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838) or contact your county MVTF committee.
The home assessments that begin WHWC's repair process are conducted by Building Analysts certified BPI BA-T and BA-P through Michigan EGLE. Those are nationally recognized credentials — the same qualifications the ICAN Workforce Development program trains Detroit residents to earn, so the people assessing homes in these neighborhoods have the expertise and the community knowledge to do it right. See also why Detroit energy bills are so high and what to do about it for the broader context on energy costs in these neighborhoods. [confirmed=false]
If you're not eligible but want to help a veteran get these repairs: support WWGT's work. Your contribution goes toward sustaining WHWC and the workforce that makes it run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a service-connected disability to get VA help with home repairs?
For SAH and SHA, yes — a permanent, service-connected disability is required. For HISA, a service-connected disability qualifies you for the higher $6,800 lifetime tier. Veterans with a service-connected rating of 50% or higher may also qualify for HISA for a non-service-connected condition. (Source: VA Prosthetics page, prosthetics.va.gov.)
Can veterans get free home repairs in Detroit without a disability rating?
Yes. WWGT's Whole Homes, Whole Communities program is based on location and homeownership, not disability status. If you own a home in Highland Park or East Detroit, contact us to check whether your address is in the current service area. Michigan WAP is also open to veterans who qualify on income, without requiring a disability rating.
What is the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, and who qualifies?
MVTF provides emergency financial assistance to wartime-era veterans — and since December 2021, to peacetime-era veterans aged 65 or older with at least 180 days of service and an honorable discharge — who face unexpected hardship, including critical home repairs. It's for genuine emergencies, not planned projects. Assistance generally can't be received more than once in a two-year period. (Source: michigan.gov/mvaa.) Contact your county MVTF committee or call 800-MICH-VET.
What is the difference between the SAH and SHA grants?
SAH is for veterans who need to construct, purchase, or extensively adapt a home due to loss or loss of use of multiple limbs, loss of a lower leg with lasting effects of organic disease or injury, blindness in both eyes (20/200 visual acuity or less), certain severe burns, or loss of one lower extremity after 9/11 that prevents balance or walking without assistive devices. SHA is for veterans who need accessibility modifications due to loss or loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns, or certain respiratory or breathing injuries. Both are grants with no repayment required, and both adjust in maximum amount annually. Check va.gov for current fiscal year figures.
Is Michigan's Weatherization Assistance Program available to veterans?
Yes, if they qualify on income. WAP eligibility is set at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and is administered through local community action agencies. There's no veteran-specific priority in the MDHHS materials reviewed for this article. Veterans who qualify on income should apply the same way any resident would — through their local community action agency or MDHHS.
We Want Green Too is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 45-5324148, founded in 2007 by Gloria J. Lowe. We work on energy-efficient, healthy housing and green-economy careers for Detroit residents and veterans. Visit us at wewantgreentoo.com.
