Roughly 16,000 wood-framed triple-deckers went up in Boston between 1880 and 1930, and many more line the streets of Chelsea and Revere. Each one stacks three separate flats, connected by narrow interior and exterior staircases. For a lot of older residents, those stairs are part of every trip to the door, the mailbox or the car.
Suffolk County is the smallest county in Massachusetts by land area, with about 58 square miles of land and 62 square miles of water. It covers only Boston, Chelsea, Revere and the town of Winthrop, and it is entirely urban. That means tight lots, older buildings and staircases that were never designed with a lift in mind. This page walks through what fits, and where to look for help paying.
The housing here leans toward row houses, walk-up apartments, low-rise buildings, townhouses and the classic triple-decker. Many of these stairways are narrow, and some turn at a landing. A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest case and usually takes a straight rail.
When a staircase winds or changes direction at a landing, a curved rail is built to follow it. In a narrow triple-decker stairwell, we measure the tread depth, the width and any turns before recommending anything. The goal is a lift that folds out of the way so other people in the building can still use the stairs.
Triple-deckers often have exterior staircases at the back or side, and these can matter as much as the inside stairs. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, which counts in a county with this much shoreline and water around it.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a chair lift may not be the right answer. A platform lift can carry the wheelchair itself over a short rise, such as the steps up to a porch or front door. We look at the whole route from the street to the living space before suggesting a type.
About 13.0% of Suffolk County residents are 65 or older, and only 36.7% of households own their home. So many older residents live in a rented flat rather than a house they own. If you rent, talk with your landlord early, since a lift is attached to the stairs.
Some programs below account for renters. The VA HISA grant is open to both homeowners and renters, and the state Home Modification Loan Program offers 3% interest loans to landlords with fewer than 10 units who are making modifications for tenants.
Home values here are high, with a median of about $708,600, while the median household income is about $97,195 and the poverty rate is about 15.6%. Many older owners have plenty of equity in the house but little cash on hand for a project like a stair lift. Deferred-payment loans that are repaid when the home is sold can help with that gap.
None of the local programs listed below name stair lifts in their source descriptions, so ask each one directly before you apply. Statewide options also include the MassHealth Frail Elder Waiver (FEW) and the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program (Easterseals MA). For a starting point, Central Boston Elder Services is at 2315 Washington Street, Boston 02119, (617) 277-7416, and City of Boston Veterans Services is at 26 Court Street, 5th Floor, Boston 02108, (617) 635-3026.
A state loan at 0% interest with deferred payment, up to $50,000 for homeowners age 60+ or with a household member who has a disability, subject to income limits; ramps and lifts are listed, but stair lifts are not named specifically. It is administered locally by Metro Housing|Boston, and you can reach CEDAC at (866) 500-5599.
A 0% interest loan deferred until sale or transfer, for Boston owner-occupants age 62+ in 1-4 family homes with household income under 80% of Area Median Income; the description covers general repairs and does not mention stair lifts. It applies only in Boston, not Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop; call (617) 635-4663.
A VA grant for medically necessary home changes, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible veterans, open to owners and renters with a VA physician's prescription. The VA's exclusions list names porch lifts and stair glides as excluded equipment, so do not count on it for a stair lift; City of Boston Veterans Services at (617) 635-3026 can help with VA questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350, with Temporary Residence Adaptation grants up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026 figures). The source describes barrier-free remodeling such as ramps and widened doorways and does not mention stair lifts.
ETHOS, a Suffolk County Aging Services Access Point based in Jamaica Plain, funds minor home changes to correct hazards for frail elders age 60+ who meet state Home Care Program guidelines; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (617) 292-6211.
BCIL does not fund modifications itself but gives referrals on accessible housing, home modifications and equipment to anyone who self-identifies with a disability, or their family. It is at 60 Temple Place, Boston; call (617) 338-6665.
Older adults
2315 Washington Street, Boston, 02119
Veterans
26 Court Street, 5th Floor, Boston, 02108
Often it can, but it depends on the width and any turns at the landings. Straight runs take a straight rail, and stairs that turn need a curved rail. We measure the stairwell in person before recommending anything.
Many triple-deckers have exterior staircases, and an outdoor stair lift is built for those. If a wheelchair needs to go up a short set of porch steps, a platform lift may be a better fit.
No. That program applies only within the City of Boston, not Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop. The state Home Modification Loan Program, reachable through CEDAC at (866) 500-5599, serves homeowners across Suffolk County.
The VA HISA grant's exclusions list names stair glides as excluded, and the SAH and SHA grant pages do not mention stair lifts. City of Boston Veterans Services at (617) 635-3026 can help you sort out which VA benefits apply to you.
Yes, in some cases. The Home Modification Loan Program is open to homeowners with a household member who has a disability, not only those age 60+. BCIL at (617) 338-6665 offers referrals on home modifications to anyone who self-identifies with a disability.
The VA HISA grant accepts renters as well as owners. The Home Modification Loan Program also offers 3% interest loans to landlords with fewer than 10 units making modifications for tenants, so it is worth raising with your landlord.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
