In Yreka, the county seat, more than seventy-five homes built in the 1800s still stand, many of them Victorian-style houses from around 1890 along Third, Lane, Gold and Oregon streets. Those houses were built with tall, original staircases, and plenty of the homes in Mount Shasta, Weed, Dunsmuir, Etna and Fort Jones carry their own steep stairs to an upper floor or a basement.
Siskiyou County is big, rugged mountain country along Interstate 5, with Yreka sitting twenty-two miles south of the Oregon line. The cold four-season climate is part of why so many local houses have basements and interior stairs. This page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit those homes and where county residents can look for help paying for one.
The residential Third Street area in Yreka is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the surrounding district holds many multi-story homes with their original stairs. Many of these staircases have landings, turns or narrow widths that a straight rail cannot follow.
When a staircase turns, a curved stair lift is built to match that exact stair. A straight run with no landing can usually take a straight rail, which is simpler to fit. We measure the stair first, then tell you which type it needs.
Cold winters in places like McCloud, Tulelake, Dorris and Happy Camp mean many houses put the laundry, furnace or pantry down a flight of basement stairs. Those trips add up, and basement stairs are often the steepest ones in the house.
Some homes also have exterior steps to a porch or side door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, which matters in a county with a real winter. For walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, talk with the building owner before planning any lift on shared stairs.
About 25.4 percent of Siskiyou County residents are 65 or older, roughly a quarter of the population. About 60.9 percent of households own their home, and in most cases an owner can decide on a stair lift without a landlord's approval.
If a veteran in your family has a service-connected disability, the VA grants listed below are worth checking first. The Siskiyou County Veterans Service Office in Yreka can help with the paperwork at (530) 842-8010.
No single program pays for every stair lift, so most families combine sources. For rural homeowners with lower incomes, the USDA Section 504 program offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Most of Siskiyou County counts as an eligible rural area.
Medi-Cal members who qualify for nursing facility level care may be able to get Environmental Accessibility Adaptations through the HCBA Waiver, though it currently has a waitlist. The PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging at (530) 842-1687 is a good first call to sort out options. Statewide, families can also ask about the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan.
A Medi-Cal waiver for people who qualify for nursing facility or similar care, and Environmental Accessibility Adaptations are a covered service, though the source does not mention stair lifts by name. It has reached its slot maximum and runs a waitlist; call (916) 552-9105.
Pays for in-home caregiver hours for Medi-Cal eligible residents who are 65 or older, blind or disabled, and does not fund stair lifts or home modifications. It can be a county starting point that leads to waiver referrals; call (530) 841-2700.
Offers case management, information and assistance, meals and family caregiver support for older adults, generally 60 and up, but does not pay for stair lifts directly. Call (530) 842-1687 for help connecting to benefits.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for age 62+ homeowners at or below 50% of county Area Median Income, combined up to $50,000, to remove health and safety hazards, which can include accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (877) 508-8364.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of the legs; stair lifts are not listed as a standard item, but one may be included when part of an approved, medically necessary adaptation plan. Call (877) 827-3702.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as blindness in both eyes or loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not listed as a standard item but may be included in an approved accessibility plan. Call (877) 827-3702.
Older adults
P.O. Box 1400, Yreka, 96097
Veterans
105 East Oberlin Road, Yreka, 96097
Often, yes. Many of these circa 1890 homes have turns or landings, which usually call for a curved stair lift made to fit that staircase. A straight staircase with no turns can take a simpler straight rail.
The PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging generally serves people 60 and older. Younger people who are blind or disabled and Medi-Cal eligible can ask about IHSS at (530) 841-2700, and USDA Section 504 loans are not limited to age 62+ the way the grants are.
No. IHSS pays for caregiver hours, not equipment or home modifications. It can still be useful as a county intake point that may lead to waiver services.
Most of Siskiyou County is an eligible rural area. You must own and live in the home, and household income must be at or below 50% of county Area Median Income. Call (877) 508-8364 to check.
The Siskiyou County Veterans Service Office at 105 East Oberlin Road in Yreka, (530) 842-8010, can help with the SAH or SHA grant application, which uses VA Form 26-4555.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps and weather. We look at the steps, the slope and the surface before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
