From La Crescent on the Mississippi River to Spring Grove, Caledonia and Eitzen up on the plateau, Houston County homes sit in the Driftless Zone, where streams have cut bedrock into steep hills. Plenty of houses here are built into a slope, with one set of steps from the street and another set inside. That layout is exactly where a stair lift earns its keep.
Much of the housing goes back generations. Caledonia, the county seat, got its first courthouse in 1857 and a two-story one in 1867, and the towns around it filled with multi-story homes and farmhouses during that settlement era. This page covers which lifts suit those homes across the county's 7 towns and which programs may help with the cost.
The county runs from low rolling hills on the west end to hills carved by drainages toward the east, with elevation reaching 1,273 feet near the southwest corner. Homes on these sloped lots often have several levels tied to the street, so getting from the car to the kitchen can mean more than one staircase.
An older farmhouse in Houston or Brownsville usually has one straight, steep staircase to the bedrooms. A straight stair lift fits that well, as long as there is room at the top and bottom for the rail and seat. If the staircase turns at a landing, a curved rail built to that exact stair is the answer.
Single-family homes and farmhouses with one main staircase are the simplest jobs, and a straight lift is the common pick. Split-level homes are different: they have short runs of stairs between several floors, so we look at which levels you actually use every day before suggesting one lift or more.
Ranch-style homes often have everything on one floor except the basement, where laundry tends to live. Townhouses usually have stacked floors with a straight run. In walk-up apartments, talk with the building owner first, since the stairs may be shared space.
Outside steps matter here too. When a house sits above or below the street on a hillside lot, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may solve the entry problem that an indoor lift cannot.
About 23.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 80.4% of homes are owned by the people living in them. That combination points to long-time homeowners who want to stay put rather than move to a one-level place.
Veteran families should know up front which VA grants help with stairs and which do not, which is covered below.
Start with the Southeastern Minnesota Area Agency on Aging at (800) 333-2433. Its Home Life guidance names the stair lift as a common improvement, and its Resource Coordinators can point you toward help with home modification or repair if you are 60 or older and not on Medical Assistance.
For a loan, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan Program offers an Accessibility variant with no income limit, from $2,000 to $75,000 at fixed rates. Semcac also runs a Home Repair Loan Program for homeowners in its service area.
Veterans should call Houston County Veterans Services in Caledonia at (507) 725-5805 before applying for anything. You can also ask about statewide options such as the Elderly Waiver (EW), the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP).
Referral and information service for older adults in Houston County, and its guidance names adding a stair lift as a common improvement. It does not hand out money but connects you with Resource Coordinators and CAPS contractors; call (800) 333-2433.
A free service for people 60 or older who are not on Medical Assistance; coordinators help arrange home modification or repair, though stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (800) 333-2433.
A home repair loan for homeowners in Semcac's southeastern Minnesota service area, which includes Houston County. The source does not mention stair lifts or loan limits, so call (507) 864-7741 to ask.
Fixed-rate loans of $2,000 to $75,000 over 1 to 20 years through a participating lender, with no income limit on the Accessibility variant; accessibility improvements are eligible, but stair lifts are not named. Call (651) 296-8215.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not pay for a stair lift. Houston County Veterans Services at (507) 725-5805 can help with other VA options.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Ask Houston County Veterans Services at (507) 725-5805 about eligibility.
Serves people with disabilities in Houston County with no-cost device loans for up to 30 days and fee-based assessments; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (507) 285-1815 to ask about accessibility referrals.
Older adults
2720 Superior Dr. NW, Suite 300, Rochester, 55901
Veterans
611 Vista Drive, Caledonia, 55921
The HISA grant does not; the VA lists stair glides among excluded equipment. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not mention stair lifts in the source, so call Houston County Veterans Services at (507) 725-5805 to ask about your situation.
SEMAAA Resource Coordination is for people 60 or older. The Minnesota Housing Fix Up Accessibility loan is open to Minnesota homeowners with no income limit, and SEMCIL serves people with disabilities in the county.
No. The standard Fix Up loan is income-limited, but the Accessibility variant is not. Loans run from $2,000 to $75,000 with terms of 1 to 20 years.
Yes, though split-levels have several short runs of stairs. We look at which levels you use daily, since you may only need a lift on one run, or one lift plus another solution elsewhere.
Often it is. Many homes on sloped lots in the county have outside steps to the street, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle that entry.
For older adults, SEMAAA at (800) 333-2433 is a good first call; the Southeastern Minnesota AAA office in Rochester is also at (507) 288-6944. Veterans can start with Houston County Veterans Services on Vista Drive in Caledonia at (507) 725-5805.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
