Pontiac was platted in 1837 around a public square with ninety-three original blocks. By the 1880s the county seat was a mix of brick commercial buildings and wooden residences, and many of those older, multi-story wood-frame houses are still lived in today. Fairbury and Dwight have the same kind of long-established housing stock.
Plenty of people in these towns have owned the same two-story house for decades and would rather stay put than move. Out past Pontiac, in places like Chatsworth, Saunemin, Cullom and Long Point, the next single-story or assisted-living option can be a long drive away. A stair lift is often the simpler fix.
The 19th- and early-20th-century wood-frame homes in the county's older towns usually put the bedrooms and the full bath upstairs. That one staircase decides whether someone can keep living in the house.
When the staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the usual answer. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster and old trim are left alone. Stairs in older homes that turn at a landing or wind near the top need a curved lift built to fit that exact staircase.
Livingston County also has plenty of ranch-style homes, split-level homes and other detached single-family houses. A ranch may have everything on one floor, but the basement stairs to the laundry or the freezer can still be a problem.
Split-level homes have shorter flights between levels. Each flight is looked at on its own, since some households only need help on the one flight they use every day.
The county covers 1,046 square miles of flat Corn Belt farmland across 30 townships, and it is 64.6% rural. With that much distance between towns, staying in a home that already works is usually more practical than relocating.
Flat ground does not mean no steps. Farmhouses and rural homes often have raised porches or entry steps, which is where an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can come in. In Pontiac, where the Vermilion River crested at 19.16 feet in 1982 and 18.85 feet in 2008, it makes sense to think about basement flooding before putting a lift on basement stairs.
About 20.2% of Livingston County residents are 65 or older, and 69.2% own their homes. That adds up to a lot of owners who can choose to adapt the house they have.
The Veterans Assistance Commission at 110 W. Water Street, Suite 3 in Pontiac can be reached at (815) 844-7378 for help sorting out VA benefits.
There is no single fund that pays for every stair lift, so the right first call depends on age, disability and income. Residents 60 or older can start with the Livingston County Health Department Care Coordination Unit at (815) 844-7174, or with the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (309) 829-2065.
Residents under 60 with a severe disability may qualify for the Persons with Disabilities Waiver. The LIFE Center for Independent Living office at 216 N. Main Street in Pontiac serves Livingston County residents with disabilities. Low-income rural homeowners can ask about USDA Section 504 loans and grants. Each program is summarized below, including what its source says about stair lifts.
A statewide IDHS overview that routes Illinois residents with disabilities to the right program, and it names stair lifts as an example of a home adaptation. Call the IDHS Help Line at (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement; it pays for home modifications, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 581-3690.
For people with a developmental disability enrolled in a DDD waiver, Adult Home-Based and Community Day Services allow up to $15,000 per participant per five-year period for equipment and home modifications; the source lists ramps and exterior lifts but does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 843-6154.
For Livingston County residents 60 or older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, this program funds in-home help such as a home care aide and emergency home response; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (815) 844-7174.
The regional referral hub for older adults and people with disabilities in 16 counties, including Livingston; the source does not mention home modification or stair lift help. Call (309) 829-2065.
Serves people with disabilities in DeWitt, Ford, Livingston and McLean Counties and runs a Durable Medical Equipment Loan program; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source, so call (815) 844-1132 and ask directly.
Funds health and safety repairs and accessibility improvements for low- and very low-income homeowners through local grantees and a waitlist; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (312) 836-5200.
Very low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and those 62 or older can get grants up to a $10,000 lifetime maximum; the source mentions accessibility changes but does not name stair lifts.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home accessibility changes, but it specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY 2026; the source mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts.
Older adults
1003 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington, 61704
Veterans
110 W. Water Street, Suite 3, Pontiac, 61764
Most older wood-frame homes in Pontiac, Fairbury and Dwight can take a stair lift. A straight staircase takes a straight lift, and a staircase that turns at a landing needs a curved lift made for that staircase.
For residents 60 or older, the Livingston County Health Department Care Coordination Unit at (815) 844-7174 is the local first call. The East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (309) 829-2065 is the regional referral hub.
Yes, the Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for residents under 60 at application, reachable at (877) 581-3690. The LIFE Center for Independent Living office in Pontiac at (815) 844-1132 is another good call.
The HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, and the Veterans Assistance Commission in Pontiac at (815) 844-7378 can help with the paperwork.
Livingston County is 64.6% rural, and USDA Section 504 loans and grants are for very low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas. Eligibility is checked address by address, so do not assume the whole county qualifies.
It can be done, but Pontiac has seen the Vermilion River crest at 19.16 feet in 1982 and 18.85 feet in 2008. If the basement has taken water before, talk that through during the home visit before deciding on a basement lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
