Hampden County runs from Springfield and the cities along the Connecticut River, like Chicopee, Holyoke and West Springfield, out to small towns such as Blandford, Granville, Chester and Tolland near Chester-Blandford State Forest. It is called the most urban county in Western Massachusetts, yet many of its 24 towns are rural. The stairs we see vary just as much, from a walk-up in Indian Orchard to a split-level in Wilbraham.
This page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes here, and which local and state programs can help pay for one. Most of the funding comes from a 0% interest state loan, so it helps to know which agency serves your town before you call anyone.
Housing here includes single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Each one puts different demands on a lift, so we measure the actual staircase before suggesting anything.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings can take a straight stair lift, which is the simplest and quickest to install. If the stairs turn a corner, wrap around a landing, or have a few steps at the bottom that change direction, you will need a curved lift built to that exact staircase.
Split-level homes often have several short flights rather than one long one. Sometimes the answer is one lift on the flight used most each day, and sometimes it is more than one. Townhouses usually have a full flight between floors, and a straight lift often works there.
The hardest stairs are not always inside. Entry steps, porch stairs and basement stairs can keep someone from getting out of the house or reaching the laundry. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather exposure and can run along exterior steps.
For a wheelchair user, a seat on a rail does not solve the problem. A platform lift carries the person in the chair, and it is often the better fit at an entrance. Way Finders, which runs the state home modification loan locally, describes one household that put a stairlift and an accessible bathroom in their basement, so basement stairs are a common project.
About 17.8 percent of Hampden County residents are 65 or older, and the median age is 40. Many of the calls we get come from adult children helping a parent stay in the house they have owned for years.
Roughly 62.2 percent of households own their home. That matters, because several funding sources, including the state loan and the VA housing grant, are tied to ownership. If your parent rents a walk-up apartment, the landlord has to approve any lift, and small landlords with a qualifying tenant can apply for the state loan themselves.
The Department of Veterans’ Services for the Western Hampden District at 954 Main Street in Agawam can be reached at (413) 726-9783 to talk through VA options.
The main tool is the Massachusetts Home Modification Loan Program. It offers 0% interest loans of $1,000 to $50,000 for homeowners, or $1,000 to $30,000 for manufactured and mobile homes, with no monthly payments. The loan is repaid only when the home is sold or transferred, and both the local and statewide program pages name stair lifts.
Way Finders handles the loan for Agawam, Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield, West Springfield and Westfield, along with Amherst, Northampton and South Hadley. Homeowners in other Hampden County towns can go through the statewide program run by CEDAC.
Other statewide options worth asking about include the MassHealth Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) and the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program (Easterseals MA). Veterans should know the VA HISA grant lists stair glides among the items it does not cover, so the state loan is often the better route for a stair lift.
Greater Springfield Senior Services covers Agawam, Brimfield, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, West Springfield and Wilbraham. Access Care Partners, formerly WestMass ElderCare, serves Holyoke, Chicopee, Ludlow and surrounding Western Massachusetts communities from 4 Valley Mill Road in Holyoke.
Neither agency lists stair lifts among its services, but both offer case management, home care and caregiver support. They are a good first call if a parent needs more help at home than a lift alone can provide.
A 0% interest, deferred-payment state loan of $1,000 to $50,000 for homeowners in Agawam, Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield, West Springfield, Westfield and several nearby towns, and it explicitly covers stairlifts. Call Way Finders at (413) 233-1615.
The statewide version of the same 0% interest loan, up to $50,000 for homeowners or $30,000 for manufactured and mobile homes, open to any Massachusetts homeowner with a disability or a household member with one. Lifts and stair lifts are eligible; call (866) 500-5599.
The Area Agency on Aging for Springfield and 11 nearby towns, offering referrals, case management and a Home Care Program with income-based fees. Its pages do not mention stair lifts; call (800) 649-3641.
The Area Agency on Aging for Holyoke, Chicopee, Ludlow and surrounding communities, providing home care, nutrition, caregiver support and financial assistance. Stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned; call (413) 538-9020.
A nonprofit program that builds free wheelchair ramps and provides durable medical equipment for residents of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Stair lifts are not named; call (413) 256-0473 ext. 201.
A city program for income-eligible Springfield homeowners who need an emergency repair to their primary residence. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call the Office of Housing at (413) 787-6500 or visit 1600 East Columbus Ave., 1st Floor.
A Springfield nonprofit that performs critical repairs and modifications for low-income families with children, the elderly, veterans and people with special needs, including a $730,000 HUD-funded track to rehab homes of 51 veterans in Chicopee. Stair lifts are not named; call (413) 788-0014.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary home changes like entrance access and bathroom work, which lists stair glides among excluded removable equipment. Call (413) 584-4040.
Federal grants for veterans who own their home and have specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The source names ramps and wider doorways but does not list stair lifts.
Older adults
4 Valley Mill Road, Holyoke, 01040
Veterans
954 Main Street, Agawam, 01001
Yes. The Home Modification Loan Program through Way Finders serves Springfield and names stairlifts directly. It is a 0% interest loan with no monthly payments, repaid when the home is sold or transferred. Call (413) 233-1615.
Yes. Homeowners anywhere in Massachusetts can apply through the statewide program run by CEDAC at (866) 500-5599. Loan limits are up to $50,000 for homeowners and $30,000 for manufactured or mobile homes.
The VA HISA grant lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded items. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts in the source we checked. Veterans can call the Western Hampden District veterans office at (413) 726-9783 to ask about their situation.
The landlord would need to approve the lift. Small landlords whose tenant has a disability or is an elder can apply for the Home Modification Loan Program, and Holyoke is in the Way Finders service area.
Not always. We look at which flight is used most every day. If both are needed, each flight is measured separately, and a short straight run is often simpler than one curved rail through both.
Start with your area agency on aging. Greater Springfield Senior Services is at (800) 649-3641, and Access Care Partners is at (413) 538-9020. They handle home care and caregiver support, though neither lists stair lifts.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
