Kokomo grew fast after natural gas erupted from a well near town on October 6, 1886, and the auto plants that followed shaped the houses people still live in. Many of the older, multi-story homes in and near the historic downtown kept their original stairways. Out past the city, Greentown, Russiaville and Center mix newer houses with rural properties spread across the outlying townships.
That mix matters when you are deciding on a stair lift. An original staircase in a downtown Kokomo house asks different questions than a split-level in a later subdivision or a single-story ranch with a few steps at the door. This page walks through what we look at in Howard County homes and where to turn for help paying for the work.
The industrial-era houses near downtown Kokomo are where we see the most interior stair lift jobs. These homes often have their original stairways, and that is usually where the bedroom or the only full bath sits on the upper floor.
A straight staircase is the simplest case: one rail along the treads, mounted to the stairs rather than the wall. If the stairway turns at a landing or has a bend partway up, a curved rail built to that staircase is usually the answer. We measure each flight before recommending either one.
As the auto industry expanded through the 20th century, Howard County added mid-century and newer ranch-style subdivisions along with split-level homes and townhouses. A ranch may need no interior lift at all, while a split-level has short flights between each level that need their own plan.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments bring a different set of questions, since the stairs may be narrow or shared. If you rent or share a stairway, check with the owner or building manager before anything is installed.
Howard County sits on flat to gently rolling ground in central Indiana, so steep grades rarely complicate exterior ramps here. For a few porch or entry steps, a ramp or a platform lift is often worth comparing with an outdoor stair lift.
Winters are cold, with January averaging around 15°F, and the record low hit -26°F in January 1985. Any lift that lives outside has to be rated for that weather and kept clear of snow and ice, so we talk through covers and placement before choosing an outdoor unit.
About 19.1% of Howard County residents are 65 or older, and roughly 65.7% of households own their homes. Owning the house makes it easier to put a rail on the stairs and to qualify for several of the repair programs listed below.
If someone in your family served, the Howard County Veterans Service Office in Kokomo is a good first call before you choose a payment route.
The clearest public route here is Indiana's Medicaid HCBS waivers, which list stair lifts among allowed environmental modifications. You apply through the Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services office at 107 W. Taylor Street in Kokomo, which handles intake and case management for the waivers.
Other programs below help with home repairs or veteran housing but do not name stair lifts, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Statewide, it can also be worth asking about the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP).
Indiana's Medicaid waivers cover home modifications, and stair lifts are listed among allowed environmental modifications; PathWays for Aging serves people 60 and older and the Health & Wellness Waiver serves those 59 and under, subject to waiver slots. Call (877) 284-9294, or apply through Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services.
The local intake, OPTIONS counseling and case-management office for Medicaid waivers and in-home services at 107 W. Taylor Street, Kokomo; its own listings do not mention stair lifts, but it is the gateway to waiver home modifications. Call (765) 454-5562.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with the grant portion limited to homeowners 62 and older; the source names ramps and grab bars but does not mention stair lifts. Kokomo itself may not qualify, while outlying parts of the county may.
A VA grant for medically necessary permanent alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status; it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA's description gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Free benefit-claims counseling and referral for Howard County veterans and families at 220 N. Main Street, Room 101, Kokomo; it does not list a home-modification benefit of its own. Call (765) 456-2511.
100% forgivable loans up to $50,000 for low- to moderate-income homeowners inside the city's CDBG target area, for work like roofing, siding, porch repairs and windows. The program description does not mention accessibility changes or stair lifts.
An interest-free loan for the materials cost of critical safety or livability repairs, for owner-occupants with insurance and income between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (765) 452-2185.
A center for independent living offering information, referral, peer support and advocacy for people with disabilities in Howard County; it does not list a stair lift or home-modification program. Call (866) 741-3444.
Older adults
1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947
Veterans
220 N. Main Street, Room 101, Kokomo, 46901
Through the HCBS waivers, it can. Stair lifts are listed among allowed environmental modifications under the PathWays for Aging and Health & Wellness Waivers, and you start the application with Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services at (765) 454-5562.
Yes. PathWays for Aging covers people 60 and older, and the Health & Wellness Waiver covers people 59 and under. Both require nursing-facility level of care and are subject to waiver slot availability.
The HISA grant will not; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from it. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so call the Howard County Veterans Service Office at (765) 456-2511 to talk through your situation.
Usually, yes. A staircase that turns or bends typically needs a curved rail built to fit that stairway, while a straight run can use a standard straight rail. We measure the stairs first to know which one fits.
Maybe not inside the city, since eligibility depends on USDA's rural-area designation for the specific address. Outlying parts of Howard County may qualify, and the grant portion is limited to homeowners 62 and older.
They need to be chosen with the cold in mind, since January averages around 15°F here. For a few entry steps, the county's flat ground also makes a ramp or platform lift a practical option to compare.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
