Haywood County sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is believed to be the highest county by mean elevation east of the Mississippi River, at 3,597 feet. From Waynesville and Canton to Maggie Valley, Clyde, Lake Junaluska and West Canton, a lot of houses are built on steep or sloped lots. That often means steps outside just to reach the front door, on top of whatever stairs are inside.
This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which local, state and VA programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying. Every program listed here is one we found for Haywood County residents, along with what its own materials do and do not say about stair lifts.
The county covers 554.5 square miles, and Mount Guyot on its border reaches 6,621 feet. Homes on that kind of ground are often split-level, or they need a run of exterior steps from the driveway to the door.
The 2020 census put the population at 53.1% urban and 46.9% rural. A large share of homes sit outside town limits on rural mountain lots, where multi-level entries and outside stairs are more common than on in-town lots. For many families, the front steps are the first problem to solve, not the staircase to the bedroom.
Single-family and detached houses with one straight flight are usually the simplest job. A straight stair lift runs on a rail fastened to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights with turns or landings between levels often call for a curved rail, which is built to the shape of your staircase. Townhouses can go either way depending on the layout.
Exterior steps on a sloped lot need an outdoor-rated lift built to handle weather. Where a wheelchair user needs to get from yard level to the door, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. In walk-up apartments, renters will need the landlord's approval before anything is installed.
As of the 2020 census, the county's median age was 48.8 and 26.2% of residents were 65 or older, a notably older population than the US average. Many of those residents want to stay in homes they have owned for years, and the 2020 census counted 74.9% of occupied housing units as owner-occupied.
If someone in your family served, the VA grants and the county veterans office below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
None of the program pages we reviewed name stair lifts as a covered item. Several do cover accessibility work such as ramps, handrails, grab bars or mobility improvements, so it is fair to call and ask whether a stair lift could qualify in your situation.
Mountain Projects, Inc. is the community action agency for Haywood County and also runs local aging services, so (828) 452-1447 is a good first call. Region A - Southwestern Commission AAA in Sylva can be reached at (828) 586-1962. Veterans can start with Haywood County Veterans Services at 63 Elmwood Way, Suite B in Waynesville, (828) 452-6634.
Statewide, North Carolina also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), the NC Innovations Waiver and the Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C). The full program list is below.
A 0% interest, deferred, forgivable loan of up to $15,000 per household for homeowners in Haywood or Jackson County at or below 50% AMI with a household member who has a special need or disability. It lists grab bars, handrails, ramps and doorway work but does not mention stair lifts; call (828) 452-1447.
Helps homeowners and renters in Haywood or Jackson County, aimed at older adults and people with disabilities or mobility challenges, with accessibility modifications and home safety improvements. No dollar amount is given and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (828) 452-1447.
A state Medicaid waiver offering home- and community-based services to adults 18 or older who meet a nursing-home level of care and qualify for long-term-care Medicaid. The source page does not list stair lifts or home modifications; call the NC Medicaid Contact Center at (888) 245-0179.
For people 60 or older who have no one to do the work at no cost, with up to $7,000 per individual per program year, administered locally by Mountain Projects, Inc. Mobility and accessibility improvements are a covered category, though stair lifts are not named; the NCDHHS Customer Service Center is (800) 662-7030.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans and service members with a qualifying severe service-connected disability who own or plan to own the home. Ramps and wider doorways are given as examples; stair lifts are not named.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans and service members with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named among the covered adaptations.
For veterans enrolled in VA health care who have a medical need for home improvements, for service-connected or non-service-connected conditions, applied for with VA Form 10-0103. The source page does not state amounts or whether stair lifts are covered.
A critical home repair program that has replaced a senior homeowner's unsafe stairs with an accessible ramp. Eligibility is not posted and stair lifts are not mentioned; call the office at (828) 452-7960.
Up to $25,000 in repairs such as roofs, plumbing, electrical and HVAC for income-qualified homeowners in Western NC whose primary residence was affected by Hurricane Helene. Accessibility work and stair lifts are not listed, and the (252) 425-9522 number on WNCready.org is for the contractor network, not homeowner applications.
Older adults
125 Bonnie Lane, Sylva, 28779
Veterans
63 Elmwood Way, Suite B, Waynesville, 28786
Their Urgent Repair Program and Safe at Home Program pages do not mention stair lifts. They do cover accessibility work like ramps, handrails and grab bars, so call (828) 452-1447 and ask whether a stair lift could be considered.
Yes. The HCCBG Housing and Home Improvement Assistance program serves people 60 or older with up to $7,000 per program year, and it covers mobility and accessibility improvements. In Haywood County it is run by Mountain Projects, Inc.
The Mountain Projects Safe at Home Program serves renters as well as homeowners in Haywood and Jackson County. You will also need your landlord's permission before a lift goes in.
Yes, with an outdoor-rated lift made for weather exposure. On sloped mountain lots where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can look at both during a home visit.
Haywood County Veterans Services at 63 Elmwood Way, Suite B in Waynesville, (828) 452-6634. They can help with the VA SAH, SHA and HISA grants, none of which name stair lifts on their pages, so ask how a lift would be reviewed.
The Home Repair Readiness Program lists structural and system repairs like roofs, plumbing and HVAC, not accessibility modifications. It may help fix storm damage, but it is not set up to pay for a stair lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
