Houghton sits on rolling wooded hills along the south shore of the Keweenaw Waterway, at an elevation of 643 feet. Streets climb, houses step up the slope, and many of the small wooden homes date back to the copper-mining boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The same goes for much of the county, from Hancock and Calumet to Lake Linden, Chassell, South Range and Painesdale.
That history shows up on the staircase. Older homes often have narrow, steep stairs, and hillside lots can mean steps outside as well as in. This page walks through what Houghton County homes mean for a stair lift and which local and federal programs may help with the cost.
In Houghton's historic neighborhoods, small wooden houses rise across the hills above the waterway. Stairs in homes from that era tend to be tight, and some turn or have a landing partway up. A straight stair can take a standard rail. A stair that turns usually needs a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
East Houghton has Colonial Revival homes along College Avenue, and West Houghton has larger, newer houses on wooded lots. The newer homes often have a single straight run between floors, which is the simplest and quickest kind of lift to install.
Because so much of the county is built on slopes, some homes have steps from the street or driveway up to the door. If the hard part of the day is getting into the house, ask about an outdoor lift as well as one for the inside stairs.
Split-level homes are common here, and they usually have several short flights instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own straight lift, or one curved rail can sometimes carry a rider through more than one level. We measure every flight before suggesting either.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are part of the housing mix too. About 55.1% of households in the county own their homes, so a good number of people rent. Renters should talk with the building owner before any rail goes on a shared stair. Where a wheelchair has to go up with the rider, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat.
Houghton County has about 20,977 residents, and 14.9% are 65 or older. Many of them live in the same older houses they have owned for decades, with bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor.
That matters because several VA grants and a county veterans office may help with home changes, as covered below.
The most direct local route is the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, run for Houghton County by UPCAP. Its care plans list home modifications for accessibility, which is the category a stair lift falls under. Eligibility depends on age or disability, a nursing facility level-of-care assessment and income and asset rules.
If you are not sure where to start, MI Options offers free counseling through UPCAP and can point you to programs like MI Choice. Veterans have separate options through the VA and the Houghton County Veterans Service Office in Calumet. For low-income homeowners in rural areas, USDA Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants are another possibility.
Statewide, Michigan also lists the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP), MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Ask the agencies below which ones fit your situation.
UPCAP AAA (Upper Peninsula) serves all 15 Upper Peninsula counties from P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829. The phone is (906) 786-4701.
The Houghton County Veterans Service Office is at 23810 Airpark Blvd, Suite 130, Calumet, 49913. Call (906) 482-0102.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older, or adults 18 and older who are blind or disabled, who meet nursing facility level of care and financial rules; its care plans list home modifications for accessibility, the category a stair lift falls under. Screening starts through UPCAP at (906) 786-4701.
A free counseling service that helps anyone in the Upper Peninsula find and apply for long-term supports, and it lists home modifications among the resources it covers. It does not pay for a lift itself; call (800) 803-7174.
The regional aging-services hub for all 15 Upper Peninsula counties, including Houghton County, which coordinates programs like MI Choice and caregiver support. Its main site does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (906) 786-4701.
VA grants for veterans and service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. The source does not mention stair lifts by name; call (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant toward medically necessary home improvements for enrolled veterans, whether or not the disability is service-connected. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (844) 872-4681.
Federal loans and grants for very low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to improve their homes or remove health and safety hazards. The source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes.
The county office administers emergency funds for veterans with an urgent, temporary financial need and helps with VA benefit applications. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (906) 482-0102.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
23810 Airpark Blvd, Suite 130, Calumet, 49913
Often, yes. Straight stairs take a standard rail, while stairs that turn or have a landing need a curved rail made for that staircase. We measure first so you know which one your house needs.
The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver also covers adults 18 and older who are blind or disabled, if they meet its level-of-care and financial rules. MI Options counseling is open to anyone seeking long-term supports, regardless of age.
Call MI Options at (800) 803-7174 for free counseling, or UPCAP at (906) 786-4701. They can help you figure out whether MI Choice or another program applies.
Yes. The Houghton County Veterans Service Office is at 23810 Airpark Blvd, Suite 130, in Calumet, and the phone is (906) 482-0102. It helps with VA benefit applications and emergency assistance funds.
Not always. Some split-levels get a straight lift on each flight, and others can use one curved rail that runs through more than one level. It depends on how the flights connect.
You will need the building owner's approval before anything is installed on the stairs. If a wheelchair needs to go up too, a platform lift may be worth discussing with them.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
