From the Victorian streets of Santa Cruz to the hillside lots of Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond and Felton, Santa Cruz County homes are rarely flat. Many sit on marine terraces above Monterey Bay or are built into the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with stepped entries and stairs inside.
The county takes in 29 towns, including Watsonville, Aptos, Capitola, Soquel and Scotts Valley, and older period homes stand alongside split-levels and townhouses. This page walks through what that housing means for a stair lift and where to look for help paying for one.
Santa Cruz County has many Victorian-era estates from the late 1800s, in Queen Anne, Stick-Eastlake and Carpenter's Gothic styles, plus early 20th century homes. Well-known examples include the Mangels House in the Aptos hills, the Hinds House on Chestnut Street and the Weeks Mansion on California Street in the city of Santa Cruz.
Homes from this period tend to have steep, narrow original staircases and several levels. A narrow straight run can often take a slim straight rail. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, so we measure every step before quoting.
Live Oak, Soquel and Aptos sit on marine terraces, hills and valleys, and the southern Pajaro Valley mixes lowlands with terraces and rolling hills. Up in the mountains, towns like Lompico, Zayante and Brookdale are built on steeper ground.
That terrain produces split-level homes and houses with stepped entries. Short runs of a few steps between levels can be handled with a straight lift, while long stairs from the street or driveway to the front door may call for an outdoor stair lift made to handle coastal weather. Where a wheelchair user needs to change levels, a platform lift is often the better fit than a seat.
Besides single-family homes, the county has townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In a townhouse you own, a stair lift on the inside stairs is usually a simple project. In a walk-up or a shared stairway, you will need the owner or building's approval before anything is installed.
Out of 240,811 residents, 18.1% are 65 or older and 57.6% own their homes. The area was a quiet coastal retirement and resort town before UC Santa Cruz opened in 1965, and many longtime owners now live in multi-story homes they plan to stay in.
The Medi-Cal HCBA Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service for people who meet nursing facility level of care, though it has a waitlist.
The Seniors Council and the Central Coast Center for Independent Living do not hand out equipment money, but they can connect you to local resources. Statewide options worth asking about include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. The Santa Cruz County Veterans Services Office at 842 Front Street in Santa Cruz can help veterans with VA paperwork at (831) 454-7276.
A Medi-Cal waiver for people who meet nursing facility level of care and can be served safely at home; home modifications (environmental accessibility adaptations) are covered and decided case by case. It reached its slot maximum of 8,974 and had a waitlist as of July 2023; call (800) 300-1506.
The local Area Agency on Aging offers care management and referrals to home-safety, falls-prevention and aging-in-place resources for adults 60 and older and caregivers; stair lifts are not listed as a direct benefit. Call (831) 688-0400 or visit 234 Santa Cruz Avenue in Aptos.
Serves people with disabilities of any age in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties with assistive technology information, advocacy and referrals; stair lifts are not listed as a funded item. Call (831) 462-8720.
Federal grants for veterans who own or will own the home and have a qualifying permanent service-connected disability, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; whether a stair lift qualifies is not stated in our source. Apply with VA Form 26-4555 or call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
234 Santa Cruz Avenue, Aptos, 95003
Veterans
842 Front Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
Often, yes. Many late 1800s homes in the county have steep, narrow original stairs, so we measure the width, pitch and any turns before recommending a straight or curved rail.
The Medi-Cal HCBA Waiver covers home modifications for people who meet nursing facility level of care, decided case by case. It had a waitlist as of July 2023. Call (800) 300-1506 to ask about it.
The Seniors Council of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers with care management and referrals. Reach them at (831) 688-0400.
Start with the Santa Cruz County Veterans Services Office at (831) 454-7276. They can help with VA SAH or SHA grant applications and the HISA and prosthetics benefits.
For long exterior stairs, an outdoor stair lift is the usual choice. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may work better than a seat.
Yes. The Central Coast Center for Independent Living serves people with disabilities of all ages in Santa Cruz County. Call (831) 462-8720.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
