From the split-levels of Tucker and Chamblee to the hillside lots around Stone Mountain and Lithonia, a lot of DeKalb County homes put the kitchen, bedroom or front door up a flight of stairs. Much of the county's suburban housing went up in the mid-20th century, built into rolling Piedmont ground, and that layout is the reason many families start asking about stair lifts.
This page covers what DeKalb's homes and terrain mean for the kind of lift you would need, and which county, state, nonprofit and VA programs may help with the cost. It applies across the county's 21 towns and communities, including Decatur, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Stonecrest, Clarkston, Doraville, Avondale Estates and Pine Lake.
DeKalb County sits in Georgia's upper Piedmont, and it is noticeably hillier than the flat coastal-plain counties elsewhere in the state. Builders worked with those slopes by stacking living space, so split-level and multi-story homes are common here.
In practice that means the main living areas are often up a flight of entry stairs or interior stairs. A parent who can still manage a single floor may find that the one trip up to the bedroom or down to the laundry is the hard part of the day.
About 13.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and roughly 54.3% of households own their home. For owners planning to stay put, a lift is often a simpler change than moving or rebuilding a floor plan.
A straight stair lift fits a single run of stairs with no turns or landings. Many older multi-story homes and townhouses in places like Brookhaven, North Druid Hills and Dunwoody have that kind of staircase, and it is usually the quickest install.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short flights between levels, sometimes with a turn or a landing, so we look at whether one curved rail makes sense or whether separate straight lifts on each short run work better. We measure the actual stairs before recommending either.
If you live in a walk-up apartment or a low-rise building, the stairs may be shared or owned by someone else. Talk with the building owner or association first, since they usually have to approve anything attached to common stairs.
Hillside lots near Stone Mountain and throughout the county often mean a set of steps just to reach the front door. An outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can handle those entry steps so the house is reachable from the driveway.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a seated lift may not be the right answer. A vertical platform lift can raise the person and the chair together at the entry, and we can talk through whether your porch or side door has room for one.
No single program covers stair lifts for everyone, so it helps to know which ones fit your situation. The programs below differ by age, income, disability and the type of home you own.
The most direct leads are the Georgia Division of Aging Services home modification and repair service, reached through the regional Area Agency on Aging, and disABILITY LINK for people with disabilities. You can reach the Atlanta Regional Commission AAA at (404) 463-3100.
Veterans can call the Decatur - VAMC Veterans Field Service Office at (404) 728-7664 to ask about VA housing grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Georgia also has statewide options to ask about, including the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and the SOURCE Waiver.
It is worth asking before you pay out of pocket.
A county deferred, forgivable loan of up to $14,000 for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing repairs, plus up to $2,000 for accessibility items like grab bars and ADA toilets; stair lifts are not listed. It is for owners 62+ or legally disabled and 21+ in single-family detached homes outside the City of Atlanta portions, with applications taken only during open windows; call (404) 371-2727.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65+ (or younger with a qualifying disability) who meet nursing-home level of care and want to stay home. Its listed services are things like personal care, adult day care, meals and respite, and stair lifts or home modifications are not listed; call (866) 552-4464.
A non-Medicaid state program for people 60+ (some services from 55) that lists home modification and repair among its in-home services, making it one of the likelier routes for a stair lift, though lifts are not named specifically. DeKalb residents are served through AgeWell Atlanta at the Atlanta Regional Commission; call (866) 552-4464 to confirm funding.
A nonprofit repair program for seniors 65+ or veterans 62+/disabled, with a $500 homeowner contribution and the rest as a forgivable loan; it names accessibility improvements, fall prevention and ramps, but stair lifts are not listed. You join an interest list rather than applying directly; call (770) 270-6813.
A Center for Independent Living that offers information, referral and home modification services for people with disabilities in the DeKalb and metro Atlanta area; home modifications are covered, though stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (404) 687-8890 for current eligibility and funding.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the examples given are ramps and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not listed. Apply through VA.gov or by mail, or ask the Decatur - VAMC Veterans Field Service Office at (404) 728-7664.
Older adults
229 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, 30303
Veterans
1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, 30033
Stair lifts are not named in the Special Purpose Home Repair Program. Its repairs cover HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing, with a separate accessibility add-on of up to $2,000 that names grab bars and ADA toilets. Call (404) 371-2727 to ask about your situation.
For the county's Special Purpose Home Repair Program, yes: only single-family detached homes qualify, and townhomes, duplexes, condos and mobile homes are not eligible. Other programs, like the Division of Aging Services home modification service, do not list that restriction, so they are worth calling.
Some programs start younger. The Division of Aging Services serves people 60+ for most services and 55+ for some, the county repair program accepts owners 62+ or legally disabled and 21+, and disABILITY LINK serves people with disabilities without a stated age limit.
The EDWP source lists adult day care, alternative living services, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite care. It does not list home modifications or stair lifts, so plan on other funding for the lift itself.
Often, yes. Many DeKalb homes sit on sloped lots with entry steps, and an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can be fitted to those steps. We look at the run, the landing and the space at the door before recommending one.
Start with the Decatur - VAMC Veterans Field Service Office at (404) 728-7664, 1670 Clairmont Rd, Decatur. Ask about the SAH, SHA and TRA grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), and if the veteran is 62+ or disabled, Habitat for Humanity DeKalb's Aging in Place Program at (770) 270-6813 is another option.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
