From Rogers City and Presque Isle Harbor on the Lake Huron side to Onaway and Posen inland, Presque Isle County is a peninsula with more water than land. About 74% of its roughly 2,573 square miles is water, and the 2020 Census counts 100% of the county's population as rural.
That rural setting shapes how a stair lift project goes here. Accessibility-equipment installers are not around the corner, so it pays to plan the measurement, the lift choice and the funding before the first visit. This page walks through what fits the homes in the county and who to call about paying for it.
Most homes in the county are single-family homes and detached houses, and the 2020 Census found 86.3% of occupied units owner-occupied. A straight staircase in a detached house is usually the simplest install: the rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so no remodeling is needed.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short flights that turn or break at a landing, which can call for a curved rail, two straight lifts, or a small platform lift for a few steps. Townhouses and walk-up apartments often have narrower stairs, so the folded width of the chair matters more than any other number we measure.
Of the county's 9,804 housing units, 38.3% were vacant at the 2020 Census, which fits the large stock of seasonal places along the Lake Huron shore. If a family cottage has steps from a deck or down a slope toward the water, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be the right tool.
Outdoor units are built for weather exposure and usually come with covers. If the home sits empty part of the year, tell us during the assessment so we can talk through how the lift is left between visits.
The county is markedly older than most of Michigan, with a median age of 56.1 years. In 17.7% of households, someone 65 or older lives alone. For those homes, the lift has to be fully usable by one person with no help.
That means call stations at the top and bottom so the chair can be sent back, a swivel seat that locks at the landing, and controls that are easy to reach. Adult children helping from out of town should ask about these details before anything is ordered.
Of the programs listed below, only the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver (Home & Community-Based Services) has a source that names stair lifts as a covered home modification. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The others fund home repairs or modifications but their sources do not mention stair lifts, so ask directly before counting on them.
A good first call for seniors is the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency AAA in Alpena at (989) 356-3474. Veterans can start with Presque Isle County Veterans Affairs in Rogers City at (989) 734-0302.
A state Medicaid waiver for seniors 65 and older or adults with disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care and want to stay home; its source lists stair lifts among covered environmental modifications, with the budget set in each person's service plan. Call NEMCSA's general line at (989) 358-4661.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes. The program explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans and service members with severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The source gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A 1% loan up to $40,000, or a grant up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and Presque Isle County qualifies as rural. Ramps, grab bars and widened doorways are listed, but stair lifts are not; call the Michigan office at (517) 324-5100.
A Posen-based agency serving county residents 60 and older with referrals and coordination, not direct grants. No stair lift program is listed; call (989) 766-8191 for help finding services.
A nonprofit repair program for owner-occupants in Presque Isle and nearby counties that lists accessibility modifications and porch and stair repairs, though stair lifts are not named. Call (989) 354-5555.
A MSHDA-funded repair grant for income-eligible homeowners in Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle counties, handed out first-come, first-served from limited funds. The source does not mention accessibility work or stair lifts; call (989) 354-2666.
State emergency help for low-income homeowners facing urgent health or safety threats, up to $4,000 for energy-related repairs and $1,500 for other repairs. It is aimed at things like furnaces and septic systems, and stair lifts are not listed; apply through MI Bridges or your local MDHHS office.
Older adults
2375 Gordon Rd., Alpena, 49707
Veterans
151 E. Huron Avenue, PO Box 110, Rogers City, 49779
The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver (Home & Community-Based Services) lists stair lifts among covered home modifications for people who qualify for Medicaid and meet nursing-facility level of care. The amount depends on the individual service plan. NEMCSA's general line is (989) 358-4661.
No. The HISA grant excludes stair glides. Presque Isle County Veterans Affairs at (989) 734-0302 can talk through other VA options, such as the SAH and SHA grants, though their source does not name stair lifts.
Yes. The Presque Isle County Council on Aging in Posen serves residents 60 and older and can point you to services at (989) 766-8191. The Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency AAA in Alpena is at (989) 356-3474.
Not always. Split-level homes often have short flights with landings, and depending on the layout the answer may be a curved rail, two straight lifts, or a platform lift. We measure each flight before recommending one.
Yes, and in this county that matters, since 17.7% of households have someone 65 or older living alone. We set up call stations at both ends and a locking swivel seat so one person can use it safely with no one else home.
Presque Isle County qualifies as rural for USDA Section 504, which offers loans and, for homeowners 62 and older, grants. The source lists ramps, grab bars and widened doorways but not stair lifts, so ask the Michigan office at (517) 324-5100.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
