Isanti County runs about 452 square miles across east-central Minnesota, with the Rum River through its center and hilly ground cut by drainages and gullies. Most people here, 59.3% as of the 2020 Census, live outside the city cores of Cambridge, Isanti, Braham and St. Francis, often on rural lots with their own driveways, steps and grades.
The homes tend to stay in the same hands for a long time. Of the county's 16,550 housing units in 2020, 82.5% were owner-occupied, and homeowner vacancy sat at just 0.8%. That means many residents are getting older in houses they know well, and a stair lift is often the practical way to keep using the whole house instead of moving.
Single-family and detached houses make up much of the county, and many have one straight run of stairs to a second floor or basement. A straight stair lift fits that kind of staircase well and is usually the simplest job to plan.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights and landings that change direction, so the choice is usually a curved lift that follows the turns, or a separate straight lift on each short run. We measure each flight and landing before recommending one or the other.
Townhouses often have narrow stairways between floors, so rail placement and the folded width of the seat matter. In walk-up apartments, the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted to a shared or rented stairway.
The terrain here is hilly, with lakes, ponds and gullies, and that shows up at the front door. Steps from a driveway or yard up to an entry can be just as hard to manage as the stairs inside.
For those spots an outdoor stair lift, built to handle weather, can be an option. Where a wheelchair needs to go up with the person, a platform lift is the type to discuss. Since most residents live outside the small cities, it helps to have everything measured in one visit, inside and out.
About 15.9% of Isanti County residents are 65 or older. In Cambridge, the county seat and home of the Cambridge Medical Center, that share was 20.1% in 2020, and the city grew 18.5% from 2010 to 2020.
The Isanti County Veterans Service Office in Cambridge, at 1700 E Rum River Dr S, Suite H, can be reached at (763) 689-3591 and is the local place to ask about VA housing grants.
None of the programs below name stair lifts in the materials we reviewed, so plan on asking each one directly. Several do name accessibility work as an eligible use, which is the right starting point for that conversation.
Lakes & Pines Community Action Council serves Isanti County directly and lists handicap accessibility improvements in its repair loan. Minnesota Housing offers two loans that include accessibility work, and veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can look at the VA SAH and SHA grants.
For people on Medical Assistance, the Elderly Waiver and other HCBS waivers are worth asking about through a county case manager. The Central Minnesota Council on Aging in St. Cloud, at (320) 253-9349, can also help sort out options for older residents.
A 0% interest forgivable loan of up to $37,500 for low-income Minnesota homeowners who live in the home, covering safety, accessibility and energy-efficiency improvements; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (651) 296-7608.
A fixed-rate home improvement loan from $2,000 to $75,000 with 1-20 year terms, where accessibility improvements are an eligible category and income limits are waived for the Accessibility variant; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (651) 296-7608.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (2026 maximum) for veterans and service members with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities, with a related TRA grant up to $50,961. The source lists ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (2026 maximum) for veterans with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities, with a related TRA grant up to $9,100. Stair lifts are not named on the page reviewed.
Medical Assistance waivers that help pay for services to live at home, with the Elderly Waiver generally serving people 65+ and the others serving people under 65 with qualifying disabilities; stair lift coverage is not itemized and would need to be confirmed by a county case manager. Call (866) 333-2466.
A free statewide information and referral service for Minnesotans with disabilities and their families, not a funding source itself, that can point you to waivers and benefits; stair lifts are not specifically discussed. Call (866) 333-2466.
A free, confidential 24/7 helpline open to all Minnesota residents that connects callers to senior services and home repair help; it does not mention stair lifts, and phone specialists may know local resources the online database misses. Call (800) 543-7709.
A 0% interest forgivable loan with a 15-year term for income-qualified owner-occupants in Isanti and nearby counties, covering basic permanent repairs including handicap accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (320) 679-1800.
Older adults
600 25th Ave. South, Suite 108, St. Cloud, 56301
Veterans
1700 E Rum River Dr S, Suite H, Cambridge, 55008
Usually, yes. Split-levels have short flights with landings, so the answer is either a curved lift that follows the turns or a straight lift on each flight, depending on the measurements.
Lakes & Pines Community Action Council runs a Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program that lists Isanti County in its service area and names handicap accessibility improvements as eligible. Income and asset limits apply, and you can call (320) 679-1800 to ask whether a stair lift would qualify.
The VA SAH and SHA grants help veterans with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities adapt a home they own or are about to own, though stair lifts are not named in the source. Start with the Isanti County Veterans Service Office in Cambridge at (763) 689-3591.
Minnesota's CADI, CAC, DD and BI waivers serve people under 65 with qualifying disabilities who are on Medical Assistance. Disability Hub MN at (866) 333-2466 can help figure out which one applies.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift is an option if a wheelchair has to go up too. We look at both the inside stairs and the entry steps during the same visit.
The Central Minnesota Council on Aging in St. Cloud can be reached at (320) 253-9349. Minnesota 211 at (800) 543-7709 is another option and answers around the clock.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
