From Detroit and Hamtramck out to Livonia, Plymouth and Northville, and down through Wyandotte, Trenton and Flat Rock, Wayne County covers 34 towns and a lot of older housing. Much of it is single-family homes and detached houses built decades ago, along with townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Many of those homes put the bedroom and the only full bath up a flight of stairs.
When climbing those stairs gets hard, a stair lift is often the step that lets someone keep living in the house they know. This page covers which kinds of lifts suit the homes here, how the weather off the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair affects outdoor steps, and which local programs to call about paying for the work.
Detroit, the county's largest city, has lost 65% of its population since its 1950 peak of 1.85 million. Since 2014 the city has demolished over 27,000 dangerous, long-abandoned residential structures. The homes still standing across the urban core are often old and, in many cases, have gone without regular upkeep.
For a stair lift, that matters. Before any rail goes in, we look at the stair treads, the wall and the floor at the top and bottom to make sure they can carry a lift safely. A simple straight run is the most common setup in detached houses, while stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail built to fit.
Townhouses usually have a straight interior staircase, which is the easiest kind to fit. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are different, since the stairs are often shared. A lift in a common stairwell needs the building owner's approval, so start that conversation before you schedule an assessment.
Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair. We can talk through both options during a home visit.
Wayne County spans 612 square miles of mostly flat ground. Its highest point, near Northville, is only 990 feet. So the challenge is rarely a steep lot. It is the porch steps and the stairs inside the house.
Great Lakes weather is the real issue outdoors. Icy winters and humid summers are hard on exterior steps, ramps and walkways. If the front or back steps are the main barrier, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is worth a look, and it keeps a parent off icy steps in January.
Those numbers line up with the main funding paths: aging services for older adults, VA grants for veterans, and homeowner repair programs for people who own the house.
Owning the home matters because most modification programs, including the VA grants, are written for homeowners. Renters in walk-ups or low-rise buildings will need the landlord on board.
Household incomes here are moderate, which makes free and low-cost public programs worth checking first. None of the local sources we reviewed name stair lifts outright, but several cover home modifications in general or can route you to help. The list below explains each one.
A good first call for Detroit and eastern or central Wayne County is the Detroit Area Agency on Aging at (313) 446-4444. In western Wayne County and the Downriver communities, call The Senior Alliance at (734) 722-2830. Veterans can call Wayne County Veterans' Services at (313) 224-5045. Statewide options to ask about include the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP), MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with monthly income up to $2,982 and countable assets up to $9,950; it lists home modifications as a covered service but does not name stair lifts. Call (734) 722-2830 for western Wayne County and Downriver.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, usable up to 6 times. The VA mentions ramps and widening doorways but does not name stair lifts, so ask Wayne County Veterans' Services at (313) 224-5045.
An information, referral and long-term-care coordination service for Detroit and eastern and central Wayne County, not a direct funding source; it does not list a stair lift program. Call (313) 446-4444 to be routed toward the MI Choice Waiver or other local help.
Repair programs for Detroit homeowners; amounts and income limits are not published on the overview page, and accessibility work and stair lifts are not named. Call (313) 224-6380 to ask whether a program covers accessibility changes.
A screening and referral point for Wayne County residents seeking housing help, offering HUD-certified housing counseling; it does not describe a direct home-repair or stair lift program. Call the Connect Center at (866) 313-2520 to see which programs you may qualify for.
Older adults
1333 Brewery Park Blvd., Suite 200, Detroit, 48207
Veterans
400 Monroe, Suite 405, Detroit, 48226
The MI Choice Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service at no cost to people who qualify, but the source does not name stair lifts. Applicants must be 18 or older, meet a nursing-facility level of care, and stay within the $2,982 monthly income and $9,950 asset limits. Ask the agency directly whether a stair lift can be included.
For Detroit and eastern or central Wayne County, call the Detroit Area Agency on Aging at (313) 446-4444. For western Wayne County and the Downriver communities, call The Senior Alliance at (734) 722-2830.
The VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants fund home adaptations for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, though stair lifts are not named on the VA page. Wayne County Veterans' Services at 400 Monroe, Suite 405 in Detroit, (313) 224-5045, can help you sort out eligibility.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, which is where icy winters do the most harm. If the porch is the main problem, ask us to assess the outside steps as well as the indoor stairs.
Possibly, but shared stairs in walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings need the owner's approval first. Get that permission before booking an assessment.
Yes, the Housing and Revitalization Department runs homeowner repair programs. Its overview page does not list accessibility changes or stair lifts, so call (313) 224-6380 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
