Monroe County sits in the Indiana limestone belt, and the land shows it. About 411 square miles of low rolling hills, forests and old quarries, many now cliff-lined lakes, mean a lot of driveways climb and a lot of front doors sit above the yard. Bloomington grew up around 19th and early-20th-century limestone quarrying and Indiana University's historic core campus, so many homes there are older and built on slopes.
Out past the city, in Ellettsville, Smithville-Sanders, Stanford, Stinesville and Harrodsburg, the ground keeps rising and falling. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift in your house and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost.
The highest point in the county, McGuire Benchmark, reaches 994 feet northwest of Bloomington. On the east side, drainages and gullies feed Griffy Lake. Homes built on that kind of ground often end up with raised entries and long exterior stair runs just to get from the driveway to the door.
Those outside steps are often the first problem a family notices. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can run along an exterior staircase. Where the entry is a short, steep rise, a platform lift is sometimes a better match, especially if a wheelchair or walker has to come along.
The county had 63,606 housing units at the 2020 census, and a large share were built before single-story ranch layouts and universal design caught on. That means split-level floor plans and multi-story houses with the bedroom and full bath upstairs.
A single straight staircase is the simplest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without remodeling. Split-levels with short flights, or stairs that turn at a landing, typically need a curved lift made to fit that staircase. We measure each flight before recommending one or the other.
Housing here ranges from single-family homes and detached houses to townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In a detached house the homeowner decides what goes on the stairs. In a townhouse the stairs are usually private too, though an association may have rules about exterior work.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are different. The stairs are shared, so the building owner has to approve any lift. If you rent, talk with your landlord before you plan anything, and note that Bloomington's city grant has a smaller rental limit than its owner-occupied limit.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, so expect to ask questions. Indiana PathWays for Aging lists home modifications among its covered services for people age 60 and up who qualify for Medicaid and need nursing-facility level of care. There is a waitlist, about 11,296 people statewide as of February 2026.
Area 10 Agency on Aging, based at 631 W. Edgewood Drive in Ellettsville, runs the REPAIRS program for Monroe and Owen County residents. Labor is free and you pay for materials. Inside Bloomington city limits, the HMAL grant offers up to $9,500 for owner-occupied homes, though its listed work is ramps, wider doorways, lighting and grab bars. Rural homeowners may look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
Other statewide options people ask about include the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP). Call each office and ask directly whether a stair lift qualifies before you sign a contract.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts; the VA's own page excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The larger SAH and SHA grants serve veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities and fund home adaptations, though stair lifts are not itemized.
Monroe County Veterans Affairs, at 214 W. 7th St., Suite 100 in Bloomington, can help sort out which grant fits. Their number is (812) 349-2537.
Indiana's Medicaid waiver for residents age 60 and up who meet nursing-facility level of care, with a 2026 HCBS income limit of about $2,982 per month and a $2,000 asset limit for a single applicant. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (877) 284-9294.
A summary of the same waiver that lists home modification assessments and home modifications as covered services, though stair lifts are not named. It lists a $2,000 single and $3,000 married asset limit; the phone is (877) 284-9294.
Free labor for safety and accessibility work such as ramps, grab bars and rails for older residents and people with disabilities in Monroe or Owen County; you cover materials. Stair lifts are not named, so call (812) 876-3383 to ask.
Up to $9,500 for owner-occupied homes or $3,000 for rentals inside Bloomington city limits, for households at or below 80% of Area Median Income. Listed work is ramps, doorway and hallway widening, lighting and grab bars, with no mention of stair lifts; call (812) 349-3401.
Repair loans and grants, combined up to $50,000, for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to owners age 62 and up. Stair lifts are not itemized and central Bloomington is likely ineligible; call (812) 482-1171.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically needed home alterations for veterans. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Up to $126,526 in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The source describes ramps and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, with a temporary residence version up to $9,100. Stair lifts are not listed as a covered adaptation.
State grants to nonprofits and local governments, not individual homeowners, to build exterior ramps for households at or below 80% of Area Median Income. It does not cover stair lifts; IHCDA can be reached at (800) 872-0371.
Older adults
631 W. Edgewood Drive, Ellettsville, 47429
Veterans
214 W. 7th St., Suite 100, Bloomington, 47404
The city's list of covered work is ramps, doorway and hallway widening, extra lighting and grab bars. Stair lifts are not on it. Call (812) 349-3401 to confirm, and note the grant only applies inside Bloomington city limits.
The HMAL grant does not reach Ellettsville. Area 10 Agency on Aging, which is located in Ellettsville, runs the REPAIRS program for all of Monroe County, and USDA Section 504 may apply if your address is in a rural-designated area.
Indiana PathWays for Aging starts at age 60. Area 10's REPAIRS program also serves people with disabilities, so a younger resident with a disability can call (812) 876-3383 to ask.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior stairs, which are common on the sloped lots around Bloomington. For a short, steep rise, a platform lift may fit better.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for certain severe disabilities but do not itemize stair lifts. Monroe County Veterans Affairs at (812) 349-2537 can help you check.
No. Only nonprofits and local governments can apply, and the program funds exterior ramps only, not stair lifts.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
