Chippewa County covers 2,698 square miles of Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula, from Sault Ste. Marie on the St. Marys River out to Brimley on Lake Superior and De Tour Village on Lake Huron. Many year-round houses here are older and built on more than one level, so stairs come with the house.
This page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes in Sault Ste. Marie, Kincheloe, Brimley and De Tour Village, and which local, tribal, state and federal programs may help pay for one. Where a program does not mention stair lifts, we say so plainly.
Year-round housing in the county leans toward older, multi-level homes rather than new single-story construction. That matters, because the shape of the staircase decides the lift.
Ranch-style homes often have one straight run down to the basement, which usually means a straight rail lift. Split-level homes have short flights and turns between levels, so you may need a curved rail or two separate straight lifts.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are a different case. About 57.7% of households in the county own their homes, so many renters will need the building owner's approval before any rail goes on a shared or private stair.
With shoreline on both Lake Superior and Lake Huron, the county sees long, harsh winters. Icy porch and entry steps can be more dangerous than the stairs inside.
For those steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather or a vertical platform lift at the door can be worth a look. A platform lift also suits someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
The 2020 Census found 31.7% of housing units in Chippewa County vacant, largely because of seasonal and vacation homes. If a parent splits time between a house in town and a camp, start with the home they live in through the winter.
Funding programs often require the home to be a primary residence. The USDA repair program, for example, requires the owner to live in the home as their main residence.
Specialized medical and mobility equipment providers are limited outside Sault Ste. Marie. Families in Kincheloe, Brimley or De Tour Village should plan for a site visit and measurement before ordering, since a curved rail is built to one staircase.
Ask up front how service visits will work at your address, especially in winter.
Two programs below state outright that stair lifts can be covered: the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. The VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, and several other programs list home or accessibility help without naming stair lifts.
Chippewa County Veteran Affairs at 319 Court Street in Sault Sainte Marie, (906) 635-6370, can help sort out which VA grant applies.
Other statewide programs to ask about include MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP). The facts we have do not say whether they cover stair lifts.
A Medicaid program for people 65+ or adults 18+ who are blind or disabled, meet nursing facility level of care, and have income up to $2,982/month and assets up to $9,950 (single person); stair lifts are listed as a covered home modification. In Chippewa County it runs through UPCAP at (906) 786-4701 or 1-800-338-7227, with screening through 2-1-1.
Care coordination for older adults and adults with disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care, with intake through 2-1-1; home accessibility modifications are listed, but stair lifts are not named. Call (906) 786-4701.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and owners 62+ can get grants up to $10,000, with up to $50,000 combined; stair lifts for multi-story homes are listed. Call (517) 324-5100 and confirm your address is eligible.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, prescribed by a VA physician; it does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. The nearest VA site is the Sault Sainte Marie VA Clinic at 3440 I-75 Business Spur.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA describes home adaptation generally and does not list stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or certain breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not listed.
Ramp installations for elders of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, generally age 60+; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (906) 635-4971.
Rehabilitation and weatherization help for low and moderate income enrolled tribal members in a seven-county area that includes Chippewa County, with a one-year waiting period; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (906) 495-1450.
Accessibility and assistive technology programs for people with disabilities in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties; no stair lift funding is listed. Call (906) 228-5744.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
319 Court Street, Sault Sainte Marie, 49783
The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver lists stair lifts as a covered modification for people who qualify. Start with UPCAP at (906) 786-4701 or the 2-1-1 screening.
No. HISA excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Chippewa County Veteran Affairs at (906) 635-6370 can help you look at SAH or SHA, which do not list stair lifts either way.
Most of the county outside Sault Ste. Marie's core is rural and likely eligible, but each address has to be confirmed with USDA's mapping tool. You can call (517) 324-5100.
The $10,000 grant requires age 62+. Younger very-low-income homeowners may still apply for a loan of up to $40,000 at 1%.
Sault Tribe Elder Services lists ramp installations, and the Housing Authority lists home rehabilitation, but neither mentions stair lifts. Call (906) 635-4971 or (906) 495-1450 to ask.
Often, but the building owner has to approve it first. If the stairs are shared, bring the owner into the conversation before a measurement visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
