Berkshire County has some of the oldest houses in Massachusetts. Of its 70,205 housing units, 25,765 were built in 1939 or earlier, and about two thirds predate 1970. In the mill villages and town centers of Pittsfield, North Adams, Adams and Lee, that means wood-frame houses where the bedrooms and the only full bathroom sit upstairs, at the top of a narrow, steep original staircase.
Newer single-level construction is scarce across the county's 32 towns, so most owners who want to stay put are adapting a two-story house rather than moving to a ranch. This page covers what that means for a stair lift, from Williamstown down to Sheffield, and which programs can help with the cost.
A 19th-century or early-20th-century staircase is often narrow and steep, and that is the first thing we measure. A straight flight with no turns usually takes a straight stair lift, which mounts to the treads, not the wall, and folds up to leave room for others to walk past.
Many older Berkshire houses have a landing, a winder at the bottom or a turn near the top. Those need a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. The 1950s two-story colonials that went up in the county's largest post-war wave, 9,413 units, tend to have simpler straight runs, but it pays to check before assuming.
The county covers 946 square miles between the Taconic Mountains on the New York line and the Hoosac Range to the east, with Mount Greylock at 3,492 feet. That hilly ground shows up in the houses too. Raised entries and split-level homes add a flight of stairs before you even reach the front door.
Steps up to a porch or entry may call for an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather, and a split level can mean a short lift on more than one flight. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to look at.
We travel Interstate 90, U.S. Routes 7 and 20 and state Routes 2, 7A and 8 to reach homes in town centers and in the more rural hill towns like Becket, Otis, Savoy and Sandisfield. About 34.7 percent of residents live in rural areas, one of the most rural splits in the commonwealth.
About 24.6 percent of Berkshire County residents are 65 or older, and roughly 70.2 percent of households own their home. Many of those owners bought decades ago, so the house that needs the change is usually the house they own outright or have equity in.
Median household income is about $76,013 and the median property value is about $305,400. Most families here treat a stair lift as a planned purchase, which is why it helps to know the loan and assistance options before the first estimate.
The clearest route for most households is the state Home Modification Loan Program. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission staff have named ramps, stair lifts and platform lifts as covered work, and the loan is 0% interest and deferred, up to $50,000. BRPC helps county residents apply, including sessions held at the North Adams Public Library.
Other programs below may help depending on age, income, disability or veteran status, though most of them do not list stair lifts by name. Elder Services of Berkshire County, at 66 Wendell Avenue, Suite 34 in Pittsfield, is a good first call for anyone 60 or older. Veterans can reach Berkshire County Veterans’ Services at 480 West Street in Pittsfield, (413) 443-7431.
A statewide 0% interest, deferred loan of up to $50,000 ($30,000 for manufactured or mobile homes) for Massachusetts homeowners or renters who are 60 or older or have a disability, and stair lifts are covered. Call (866) 500-5599.
CEDAC runs the program and caps loans at $50,000 for standard homeowners and $30,000 for manufactured or mobile homes, and landlords with fewer than 10 units may qualify for 3% loans; stair lifts are not named on this source. Call (866) 500-5599.
A MassHealth waiver for residents 65 and older (or 60 to 64 with a qualifying disability) who need nursing-facility level of care, with home modifications set individually in a service plan; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call MassOptions at (800) 243-4636.
The county's designated aging services agency for residents 60 and older, with services assessed individually and sometimes cost-shared on a sliding scale; its materials do not mention stair lifts. Call (413) 499-0524.
A federal 1% loan up to $40,000, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not listed among covered repairs. Call RCAP Solutions at (800) 488-1969 or the USDA Rural Development Amherst Area Office at 413-253-4300.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or up to $2,000 for other veterans, which covers permanent ramps but states it will not pay for porch lifts or stair glides. Berkshire County Veterans’ Services can help at (413) 443-7431.
A CDBG-funded deferred forgivable loan for income-eligible owner-occupants, currently in Becket, Clarksburg, New Ashford, Sheffield and West Stockbridge, with a waitlist for other towns; stair lifts are not named among covered repairs. Call (413) 442-1521.
The county's Center for Independent Living, offering information, referral and advocacy to people with disabilities rather than direct funding; it does not list a stair lift fund. Call (413) 442-7047.
Older adults
66 Wendell Avenue, Suite 34, Pittsfield, 01201
Veterans
480 West Street, Pittsfield, 01201
Yes. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission staff have named stair lifts, ramps and platform lifts as covered modifications. The loan is 0% interest and deferred, up to $50,000, for people 60 and older or with a disability. Call (866) 500-5599.
The Home Modification Loan Program accepts people with a disability of any age. AdLib, Inc. also serves people with disabilities in Berkshire County and can point you to resources at (413) 442-7047.
The VA's own page says HISA will not pay for removable equipment such as porch lifts and stair glides. It does cover permanent ramps. Berkshire County Veterans’ Services in Pittsfield can explain other VA options at (413) 443-7431.
Often, yes. Raised entries and split levels are common on Berkshire's hilly ground, and each flight is measured separately. An outdoor lift may suit the entry steps, while the inside flight may take a straight or curved lift.
The current cycle funds owner-occupants in Becket, Clarksburg, New Ashford, Sheffield and West Stockbridge. Residents of other towns can join a waitlist for future cycles by calling (413) 442-1521. Stair lifts are not named among the repairs it lists.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
