Chowan County is the smallest county in North Carolina by land area, sitting where the Chowan River meets the Albemarle Sound. Most homes cluster around Edenton, with smaller communities at Arrowhead Beach, Cape Colony and Chowan Beach.
Edenton's state-recognized Historic Edenton district holds many of the county's oldest houses, including multi-story colonial and antebellum homes with interior staircases. If someone in your family is finding those stairs harder each year, this page walks through what kind of lift fits these homes and where to look for help paying for it.
Colonial and antebellum houses were built long before anyone planned for a chair on a rail. Their interior staircases can turn, include landings, or run narrower than what you see in newer construction. When a staircase turns, a curved lift with a rail built to match that exact stair is usually the answer.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simpler job. A standard straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, which matters in older houses where owners want to protect original plaster and trim. We look at the stairs in person before recommending either type.
Outside the historic district, the county's housing includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, duplexes and low-rise buildings. Townhouses and duplexes often have one straight flight between floors, which keeps a lift project fairly direct.
Homes near the Albemarle Sound and the Chowan River sometimes have exterior steps up to a porch or entry. An outdoor lift is built for weather exposure, and a platform lift can be the better fit when a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps without transferring to a seat.
About 28.7% of Chowan County residents are 65 or older, and 63.6% are homeowners. For many of these households, staying in a house they own is the plan, and a stair lift is often what keeps the upstairs bedroom usable.
If that includes someone in your household, the VA grants listed below are worth checking, and Chowan County Veterans Services in Edenton can help you start.
Several North Carolina and federal programs may help. Three of them say on their own pages that accessibility or mobility modifications are covered: NC Medicaid Money Follows the Person, the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services home improvement program, and the NC Housing Finance Agency Displacement Prevention Partnership.
Other programs do not mention stair lifts on their pages, so ask them directly before counting on them. For adults 60 and older, a good first call is Region R - Albemarle Commission AAA at (252) 426-5753, at 512 S. Church St. in Hertford. Veterans can call Chowan County Veterans Services at (252) 482-1033, at 305 W. Freemason St. in Edenton.
North Carolina also has an Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1). It is a tax program, not a stair lift grant, but it can matter to an older homeowner's budget.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care. Its service list includes 'Equipment, modification and technology' but does not mention stair lifts, so call (888) 245-0179 to ask.
Helps Medicaid-eligible people move home from a nursing or inpatient facility, with one-time transition funds that explicitly include accessibility modifications. Call the NC Medicaid Contact Center at (888) 245-0179.
A state home-repair program for people 60 or older with no one able and willing to do the work, covering mobility and accessibility improvements up to $7,000 per person per program year. Call (800) 662-7030.
The regional aging agency for Chowan and nine nearby counties, offering Home Repair Assistance and Weatherization; its page does not mention stair lifts. Call (252) 426-5753.
VA grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. The VA page names ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts, so ask Chowan County Veterans Services at (252) 482-1033.
A VA grant (VA Form 10-0103) for veterans enrolled in VA health care who need home changes related to a medical condition. The source page lists no covered items, so stair lift coverage is not confirmed there.
Helps low-income North Carolina homeowners who are permanently physically disabled pay for accessibility modifications so they can stay safely at home, applied for through a local Independent Living Rehabilitation office. The NCHFA contact is (919) 877-5700.
A state independent-living program whose Eastern office covers the Elizabeth City and northeastern NC area, including Chowan County. Its page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (252) 355-9010 for general independent-living help.
Older adults
512 S. Church St., Hertford, 27944
Veterans
305 W. Freemason St., Edenton, 27932
Usually yes. Turning or narrow staircases in older homes typically need a curved rail made to fit, while a straight flight can take a standard straight lift. An in-home look at the stairs tells you which one applies.
The NC Division of Aging and Adult Services home improvement program is for people 60 and older. CAP/DA serves Medicaid-eligible adults 18 and older, and the Displacement Prevention Partnership serves low-income homeowners who are permanently physically disabled, with no age limit stated.
The Housing and Home Improvement Assistance program is limited to $7,000 per person per program year, and it lists mobility and accessibility improvements as a covered category. Call (800) 662-7030 or Region R - Albemarle Commission AAA at (252) 426-5753.
NC Medicaid Money Follows the Person offers one-time transition funds that include accessibility modifications for Medicaid-eligible people moving home from a facility. Call the NC Medicaid Contact Center at (888) 245-0179.
Chowan County Veterans Services is at 305 W. Freemason St. in Edenton, phone (252) 482-1033. They can help you look at the VA SAH, SHA, TRA and HISA grants, none of which name stair lifts on their pages.
If the steps are outside, such as up to a porch, an outdoor lift built for weather is the right choice. For a wheelchair user facing a few exterior steps, a platform lift may work better than a seat.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
