Phillips County covers roughly 5,212 square miles between the Missouri River to the south and the Canadian border to the north, with Malta as its county seat at the junction of US Highways 2 and 191. Most homes here are single-family houses in town or on farmsteads and ranches spread across dryland wheat and barley country.
That spread matters when stairs start to become a problem. With about 0.8 people per square mile, a specialist or equipment installer can be a long drive away, so it pays to plan a stair lift carefully, pick a model that suits the house, and line up funding before the work starts.
The housing stock in Phillips County is older and mostly owned rather than rented. At the 2020 Census the county had 2,229 housing units, and 74.2% of occupied units were owner-occupied. Common styles include detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes.
Ownership is good news for a stair lift project. An owner can approve mounting a rail to the stairs, and owner-occupied homes are the ones that can qualify for programs like USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
A ranch-style home often keeps daily living on one floor, so the stairs that cause trouble are usually the basement flight or the steps up to the entry. A single straight basement stair is typically the simplest install, with a rail that runs along the treads.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and a person may need to use more than one each day. Each flight can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow a turn or landing. Curved rails are built to the exact staircase, so they take longer to make.
Where the problem is the steps outside, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift may be the better answer. A platform lift is also the option to consider if someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
In a county this large, a service call is rarely around the corner. Ask about how service visits work before you buy, and keep the lift's manual and battery information handy so simple issues can be handled by phone.
It also helps to get everything measured in one visit. Taking photos of every flight, including basement and porch steps, lets an installer judge whether a straight, curved or outdoor unit fits before driving out.
Many adult children living elsewhere are helping a parent stay in the family home in Malta or out on the farm.
If the person who needs the lift is a veteran, check the VA grants below first, since some veteran benefits are tied to a service-connected disability rating.
None of the program sources we checked name stair lifts as a covered item, so treat every program below as something to ask about, not a sure thing. The USDA Section 504 program lists ramps and accessibility improvements as example repairs, and the Big Sky Waiver includes a benefit called Environmental Adaptations.
One VA grant is clear on the point: the HISA source says it will not pay for removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. Other statewide options worth asking about include the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit.
For a starting point, Area I - Action for Eastern Montana in Glendive answers at (406) 377-3564. Veterans can reach the Havre Service Office of the Montana Veteran Affairs Division at (406) 265-4225.
A Montana Medicaid home and community services waiver for people who meet Medicaid financial rules and nursing facility level of care; it includes Environmental Adaptations, but the source does not name stair lifts, and a waiting list is in effect. Call (800) 219-7035.
Serves adults 60 and older in the Area I region, including Phillips County, with meals, in-home services, legal help and information and referral; no home modification grant is listed, so stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (406) 377-3564.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners a loan up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, with accessibility improvements listed as examples but stair lifts not named. Malta and Phillips County qualify as rural; call (406) 585-2580.
Provides a lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary access changes prescribed by a VA physician. The source states it will not pay for stair glides or porch lifts; call (406) 442-6410.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans or service members with certain permanent and total service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home; stair lifts are not named. Call (406) 442-6410.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans or qualifying family members with certain permanent and total service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named among covered adaptations. Call (406) 442-6410.
Older adults
2030 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive, 59330
Veterans
232 1st St. W, Havre, 59501
Yes. Action for Eastern Montana is the Area Agency on Aging for Area I, which includes Phillips County. It offers meals, in-home services and information and referral at (406) 377-3564, though it does not list a grant for stair lifts.
It may be worth asking. Malta and Phillips County are a qualifying rural area, and the program lists accessibility improvements as example repairs, but it does not name stair lifts. Grants go to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older; call (406) 585-2580.
No, according to the source. HISA will not pay for removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the VA at (406) 442-6410 about your situation.
Split-levels have short flights between floors. Each flight can get its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow a turn or landing.
The Havre Service Office of the Montana Veteran Affairs Division is at 232 1st St. W, Havre 59501, phone (406) 265-4225.
It includes a benefit called Environmental Adaptations, but stair lifts are not named, and there is a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035 to ask about eligibility.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
