From the county seat in Hart to Shelby, Pentwater, Hesperia, New Era, Rothbury and Walkerville, Oceana County is mostly older rural houses on farm roads and lakeshore lots. The county covers about 1,306 square miles of West Michigan along Lake Michigan, with US Route 31 tying the towns together.
Most homes here are single-family houses, not tall multi-story buildings. That works in your favor: the stairs we see in this county are usually straight interior runs, which are the simplest and quickest kind of stair lift to fit. This page walks through what that means for your house and where to look for help paying.
The local mix is ranch-style homes, split-level homes, detached houses and manufactured homes. A ranch often has just one set of stairs, down to the basement, and that run is almost always straight. A straight lift rides a single rail bolted to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights, so the question is which flight matters for daily life, usually the one to the bedrooms. Each short flight can get its own straight lift, or a curved rail can carry one seat around a landing.
Manufactured homes usually have entry steps outside rather than an inside staircase. For those, an outdoor lift or a vertical platform lift at the door is often the better fit than an indoor chair.
Plenty of houses near Pentwater and the Lake Michigan shore, and farmhouses inland, have steps up to a porch or deck. Outdoor stair lifts are built with weather-resistant parts and covers for that kind of exposure.
If someone uses a wheelchair, a chair lift is not the answer, because they would have to transfer at the top and bottom. A platform lift carries the person in the wheelchair, and it is worth measuring for one before building a long ramp on a small rural lot.
About 20.5% of county residents are 65 or older, and roughly 72.4% are homeowners. Owning the house matters, since a lift attaches to your stairs and you decide what goes in.
If that includes your parent, the Oceana County Department of Veterans Affairs at 844 S. Griswold Street, Suite 100, in Hart is a good first call at (231) 873-6834.
The county is rural and spread out, and local specialized accessibility services are limited. Plan ahead: line up the measurement, the funding call and the install date together so one trip covers it.
The one program here that names stair lifts outright is the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program. In Oceana County it runs through Senior Resources of West Michigan, at (231) 733-3585. It has no fixed dollar cap; the budget is set by each person's care plan.
Other programs help around the edges. USDA Section 504 offers repair loans and, for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, grants. The Home Ramp Up Program and the Council on Aging do not list stair lifts, but they can help with ramps, handrails or referrals. Veterans with serious service-connected disabilities may qualify for VA housing grants.
Statewide, you can also ask about the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP), MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Call before you buy, since some programs need approval first.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for adults 65 and older or disabled adults who need nursing-facility level care but can live safely at home, and it lists stair lifts among covered home modifications. In Oceana County, call Senior Resources of West Michigan at (231) 733-3585.
The area agency on aging for Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties, serving adults 60 and older and some adults with disabilities. Its materials do not list a stair lift grant, but it is the local door to the MI Choice waiver; call (231) 733-3585.
Serves county residents 60 and older with in-home care, adult day care, case coordination, transportation, Medicare and Medicaid help and a loan closet for walkers, canes and wheelchairs. Stair lifts are not listed; call (231) 873-4461.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, with a combined maximum of $50,000; Oceana County is an eligible rural area. The source names ramps and walk-in tubs as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 maximums of $126,526 (SAH), $25,350 (SHA) and $50,961 or $9,100 (TRA). The source mentions ramps and wider doorways, not stair lifts; the Oceana County Department of Veterans Affairs at (231) 873-6834 can help with the application.
Helps homeowners 62 and older in an 8-county area that includes Oceana with ramps, steps, grab bars, handrails and minor bathroom safety changes. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call the Shelby office at (231) 923-3066.
An energy-efficiency program for income-eligible homeowners, renters and mobile-home residents in Oceana County, covering work like insulation, air sealing and furnaces. It is not a mobility program and does not list stair lifts.
Serves Oceana County residents with disabilities of any age with independent living skills training, advocacy, peer support, referrals and transition help. No stair lift funding is listed, but it is a useful referral point; call (231) 799-5359.
Older adults
1279 Cedar St. NE, Grand Rapids, 49503
Veterans
844 S. Griswold Street, Suite 100, Hart, 49420
It can, through the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program, which lists stair lifts among covered modifications when they are part of the approved care plan. The person must be Medicaid eligible and need nursing-facility level care. Call Senior Resources of West Michigan at (231) 733-3585.
Yes, depending on the program. Senior Resources of West Michigan and the Oceana County Council on Aging serve people 60 and older, the Home Ramp Up Program and USDA grants start at 62, and Disability Network West Michigan in Hart serves people with disabilities of any age at (231) 799-5359.
No. The loan closet at the Oceana County Council on Aging lends walkers, canes, wheelchairs and similar equipment, not stair lifts. It is still worth calling (231) 873-4461 for in-home care and case coordination.
Call the Oceana County Department of Veterans Affairs in Hart at (231) 873-6834. They can help sort out VA housing grants for service-connected disabilities and ask about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
Usually, yes. Split-level homes have several short flights, so you can put a straight lift on the flight used most or use a curved rail that turns at a landing. We measure each flight before recommending one.
Often it does. Manufactured homes usually have outdoor entry steps instead of an inside staircase, so an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door tends to fit better than an indoor chair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
