Alpena County wraps around Thunder Bay on the Lake Huron shore, and water makes up roughly 66% of its 1,695 square miles. Most people live in or near the city of Alpena, the county seat, with Ossineke and the outlying townships spread out from there. About 53.4% of residents live in urban areas and 46.6% live rural, so a good share of homes sit well away from town.
That spread matters when stairs get hard. Single-story houses and assisted living are not easy to find out here, and leaving a long-held home often means leaving the area. A stair lift lets someone keep using the whole house they already own, and the county has a few funding leads worth calling about before you pay out of pocket.
Alpena County has 11,066 residents, and 22.1% are 65 or older. The median age is 48.1 years. Among the county's 12,901 households, 16.1% have someone 65 or older living alone.
That last figure is the one families tend to worry about. A parent living alone on two floors has no one to catch a fall on the stairs, and a stair lift takes the climb out of the daily routine. About 66.4% of residents are homeowners, which usually means the house can be modified without asking a landlord.
Local housing includes single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A single-family home or townhouse with one straight run of stairs is the simplest job, and a straight rail usually covers it.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights with a landing or turn between floors often call for a curved rail or more than one straight lift, so measuring in person is important. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings involve shared stairways, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed.
Close to the lake, many homes have outside steps to a porch, deck or lower level. An outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option there. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
None of the programs below names stair lifts as a covered item, and two explicitly exclude them. Still, several cover accessibility work or safety repairs, so a direct call can settle the question for your home.
The Alpena County Home Improvement Program is the strongest local lead. Its Housing Preservation Grant lists handicapped accessibility improvements, with a ramp given as the example. Call (989) 354-9664 and ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
For a senior who needs help staying at home, start with Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency AAA at (989) 356-3474, 2375 Gordon Rd., Alpena 49707, or the Region 9 line at (800) 219-2273. They handle the MI Choice waiver, which can fund home modifications for people who qualify.
The Alpena County Veterans Affairs office is at 150 B North State Street Located in the Harborside Mall, Alpena 49707, phone (989) 354-9671.
The VA HISA benefit does not pay for stair glides; the VA lists them as removable equipment it excludes. Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are larger and cover permanent adaptations, though the VA does not name stair lifts among its examples. The county office can also take applications for the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund emergency grant.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18+ who need a nursing-facility level of care but can be supported safely at home, with a home modification component. Stair lifts are not listed in the sources checked, so call Region 9 (NEMCSA) at (800) 219-2273 to ask for an assessment and confirm what is covered.
In-home help with bathing, dressing, meals and housekeeping for older adults in a service area that includes Alpena County, plus referral into MI Choice. Home modifications and stair lifts are not listed; call (800) 219-2273.
Free insulation, air sealing and smoke and CO detectors for low-income homeowners and renters, for homes not weatherized in the past 15 years. It does not cover stair lifts and states it is not a home repair program; call (989) 358-4700.
Grants or loans for low-income owners of single-family homes countywide, with a related township round listing ADA compliance work and an income cap at 80% of area median income. Stair lifts are not named; call (989) 354-9664 to ask.
Grants or loans for low-income owner-occupied single-family homes, with handicapped accessibility improvements such as ramps among covered items. Stair lifts are not named specifically, so call (989) 354-9664 to see if yours qualifies.
Repair loans and, for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older, grants to remove health or safety hazards; eligibility depends on the address. Stair lifts and accessibility work are not mentioned; call (989) 354-9664.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary permanent home alterations for enrolled VA patients. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own. Stair lifts are not named; call the Alpena County Veterans Affairs office at (989) 354-9671.
A financial emergency fund for Michigan veterans and eligible dependents facing short-term hardship, applied for through the county office. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (989) 354-9671.
Older adults
2375 Gordon Rd., Alpena, 49707
Veterans
150 B North State Street Located in the Harborside Mall, Alpena, 49707
For an older adult, call Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency AAA at (989) 356-3474. For a homeowner with a low income, also call the Alpena County Home Improvement Office at (989) 354-9664 about the Housing Preservation Grant, which covers accessibility improvements.
No. HISA excludes stair glides and porch lifts as removable equipment. Ask the Alpena County Veterans Affairs office at (989) 354-9671 about SAH or SHA grants or the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund instead.
The Section 504 grants are for homeowners 62 or older. Younger very-low-income homeowners may qualify for the repair loans, which a secondary source lists at up to $20,000 at 1% over 20 years. Eligibility depends on whether your address is in a USDA rural area.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for steps to porches, decks and lower levels. We look at the slope, the steps and exposure to weather when we measure.
Split-level homes often have short flights with turns or landings. That usually means a curved rail or more than one straight lift, which is why we measure each staircase in person.
No. The NEMCSA Weatherization Assistance Program covers insulation and air sealing and states it is not a home repair program. Stair lifts are not part of it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
