From Standish and Sterling inland to Au Gres, Omer and Twining, Arenac County is mostly small towns and farm country along the western shore of Saginaw Bay. The county counts 9,504 housing units, and most of them are owner-occupied single-family houses built long before anyone thought about accessibility.
That matters when climbing to a bedroom or down to a laundry room gets hard. A stair lift lets someone stay in a house they already own instead of moving, and in a county where 24.0% of residents are 65 or older, that question comes up in a lot of kitchens.
Most homes here are detached single-family houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. Each one changes what we would put on the stairs.
A ranch-style home often has its main living space on one floor, with a single straight flight down to a basement. That is usually the simplest install: a straight rail mounted to the treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have several short flights between levels, and sometimes a turn or landing. Depending on the layout, that can mean more than one straight lift or a curved rail built to fit.
About 87.5% of residents live in rural areas, and with the Au Gres, Rifle and Pine Rivers running through the county, plenty of houses sit on uneven lots with steps up to the front door or a deck. When the hard part is getting into the house, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit better than an indoor unit.
A platform lift carries a wheelchair or walker user rather than a seated rider. We look at the height of the rise, the space at the top and bottom, and how the person gets around before suggesting one over the other.
Arenac County has an 85.1% owner-occupancy rate, and the median owner-occupied home value is $118,200. Owning the home makes a permanent install much easier, since there is no landlord to ask.
Arenac County Veterans Affairs in Standish, at (989) 846-9080, can help sort out which VA benefits apply before you count on one.
No program listed below names stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes them. Some do cover home modifications or assistive technology in general, so a call can still be worth making.
The MI Choice waiver can approve environmental accessibility adaptations individually as part of a care plan. The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Program lends up to $30,000 for home modifications, with up to 7 years to repay.
Statewide, you may also hear about the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) and MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link). Ask each office directly whether a stair lift qualifies before any work begins.
The area agency on aging for Arenac County, serving adults 60 and older and family caregivers with information, referral and care planning. Its materials do not mention stair lifts or a direct home modification fund.
A Medicaid program for adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and the 2026 limits of $2,982.00 a month in income and $9,950 in countable assets; adaptations are approved case by case, though stair lifts are not named. Call the intake specialist at (989) 272-2268.
A loan of up to $30,000, repayable over up to 7 years, for Michigan residents with a disability or seniors who need assistive technology; home modification is an eligible use, though stair lifts are not named. Call (989) 356-4600.
Offers accessibility reviews, case management, referral and in-home support for people with disabilities and seniors in Arenac County. Stair lift funding is not mentioned; call (989) 835-4041.
Provides up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected conditions or up to $2,000 for non-service-connected ones, but it explicitly does not pay for stair glides or porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, usable up to 6 times; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (800) 827-1000.
Free benefits counseling and advocacy for older adults and people with disabilities in Arenac County; it does not fund stair lifts or mention home modifications. Call (866) 400-9164.
Older adults
2375 Gordon Rd., Alpena, 49707
Veterans
Arenac County Building, Room B11, 120 N Grove St, Standish, 48658
Often, yes. Split-level homes usually have short flights between levels, so the answer may be one or more straight lifts, or a curved rail if there is a turn or landing.
The HISA grant does not; it lists stair glides among items it will not fund. SAH and SHA grants do not itemize stair lifts either, so call (800) 827-1000 or Arenac County Veterans Affairs at (989) 846-9080 to ask about your case.
The MI Choice waiver starts at age 18 for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid limits. The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Program is open to any Michigan resident with a disability.
The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Program lends up to $30,000 with up to 7 years to repay and no stated income cap. Home modifications are an eligible use; call (989) 356-4600 to confirm a stair lift counts.
Many rural homes here have steps up to a porch or deck. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle that, and the right choice depends on the height and whether the rider uses a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
