Newport's East Row Historic District holds 1,070 homes, which makes it Kentucky's second-largest historic district. Many of those houses went up in the late 19th century in Italianate, Queen Anne, Second Empire and Greek Revival styles, and nearly all of them put the bedrooms upstairs. Similar long-owned two-story houses line the streets of Bellevue, Dayton and Fort Thomas.
Campbell County covers 151 square miles of land, and 82.9% of residents live in urban areas. That means most stair lift jobs here happen in established river-town houses rather than new subdivisions. This page covers what your stairs likely need and which programs in Northern Kentucky may help with the cost.
The East Row and the blocks around it were built when Newport was at its most affluent, so staircases tend to be tall and often turn at a landing. A turn usually means a curved stair lift with a rail bent to fit your exact steps. We measure on site before anything is ordered.
Later homes in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and American Foursquare styles often have a single straight run between floors. A straight stair lift is the simpler install and fits most of those stairs. The Civil War-era houses on East Fourth Street, added to the district in a 2006 boundary expansion, deserve a careful look at narrow treads and old trim.
Housing in the county runs from detached houses and townhouses to row houses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Row houses and townhouses often have narrow staircases, so the folding seat and footrest matter as much as the rail. We check clearance at the top and bottom so the chair does not block a doorway.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, and some owners need a lift on more than one of them. If the trouble is the front steps or a porch, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be the better fit. Walk-up apartments usually need the building owner's approval before any rail goes on a shared stair.
The county has 78,277 residents, and 17.2% are 65 or older. With 69.7% of households owning their home and a median home value of $252,000, many people here would rather adapt the house they have than sell and look for a single-story place.
If someone in your family served, the VA section below explains what those benefits do and do not cover, because the rules on stair lifts are specific.
Only one program on this page, People Working Cooperatively, names chair or stair lifts among its services. Most of the others either fund home modifications in general or help you get screened, so call and ask before counting on them. The Aging and Disability Resource Center at (859) 692-2480 is a sensible first call for screening into Medicaid waiver programs.
The VA's HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, so veterans should ask about SAH and SHA grants instead. Other statewide names worth raising when you call are the Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation (KATLC), the Hart-Supported Living Program and the Kentucky Homestead Exemption (Age 65+ / Totally Disabled). The Northern Kentucky AAA is at 22 Spiral Dr., Florence, 41042, phone (859) 283-1885.
A nonprofit program for low-income, elderly or disabled homeowners who live in the home, and its official page lists chair and stair lifts among its services. Call (513) 351-7921 to confirm current county eligibility, income limits and whether stair lift installs are being funded now.
A no-fee information and screening service for older adults and people with disabilities in eight counties including Campbell, with help locating resources and screening for Medicaid waiver programs. Its page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (859) 692-2480.
An advisory body to the NKADD Board of Directors that reviews the annual aging area plan and budgets; it is not a grant program and its page does not mention stair lifts. It can serve as a referral contact at (859) 283-1885.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or under 65 with a qualifying disability, who need nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 monthly income limit of $2,982. Covered home modifications are listed as ramps, grab bars, pedestal sinks and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (859) 692-2480.
A Medicaid waiver for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities that includes Minor Home Adaptations among its services. The source does not name stair lifts; call (502) 564-1647.
A statewide lending library that lets Kentuckians with disabilities borrow assistive technology on a short-term basis, coordinated from 1324 Madison Avenue, Covington. Stair lifts are not named among loanable items, so call (800) 327-5287 to ask.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income owner-occupants in USDA-designated rural areas, which must be checked address by address in Campbell County; grants require a household member age 62 or older. Repairs to make a home accessible are allowed, but stair lifts are not named.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for permanent accessibility changes, depending on the veteran's disability status. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, with FY2026 caps of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, usable up to 6 times over a lifetime. The VA describes ramps and doorway widening but does not name stair lifts, so ask before planning around it.
Older adults
22 Spiral Dr., Florence, 41042
Veterans
1111B Louisville Road, Frankfort, 40601
Usually, yes. Many of these late 19th century houses have staircases that turn at a landing, which calls for a curved rail built to the exact stairs. We measure in the home first so the rail fits the treads and trim.
Start with the Aging and Disability Resource Center at (859) 692-2480, which serves Campbell County and screens for Medicaid waiver programs. For a program that names stair lifts directly, call People Working Cooperatively at (513) 351-7921.
The Kentucky HCB Waiver for the aged and disabled accepts people under 65 who have a qualifying disability and need nursing facility level of care. The Michelle P. Waiver serves people with intellectual or developmental disabilities with no stated minimum age. Neither source names stair lifts, so ask when you apply.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair glides. Veterans with qualifying severe disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, though the VA does not name stair lifts there either. The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs is at (502) 564-9203.
The KATS Network runs a statewide lending library for short-term equipment loans, but stair lifts are not listed among its items. Call (800) 327-5287 to ask what is available to borrow or try.
Only in USDA-designated rural areas, and that has to be checked for each address. Parts of the county outside the incorporated cities may qualify. Grants require a household member 62 or older, and repairs to make a home accessible are allowed.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
