In Minnewaukan, the county seat, the 1900 brick and stone courthouse got a $30,000 chair lift and a front-entrance ramp in 1993. The county itself chose a lift as the way to make an older, multi-level building usable. Many homes in Fort Totten, Leeds and Maddock face the same problem on a smaller scale.
Benson County spreads across 1,439.4 square miles of rolling hills, lakes and ponds, with Devils Lake along much of its eastern edge. Houses here sit far apart and many are older. This page covers which kind of stair lift fits the homes you see around the county and where to look for help paying for one.
Most homes here are single-family, detached houses, and the style of the house usually decides the lift. A two-story home with one straight run of stairs is the simplest case. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and installs in a day or less in most homes.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights of a few steps between levels, sometimes with a turn. A short run may only need a short straight rail, but stairs with a landing or a bend call for a curved rail built to fit those exact stairs.
Ranch-style homes look like they have no stairs problem, until you count the steps down to the basement laundry or up to the front door. Those few steps are often where a fall happens, so they deserve a look too.
The county's terrain rolls and slopes eastward from a high point of 1,624 feet on the western boundary. On ground like that, a house often ends up with entry steps, a raised porch or a walkout basement. Getting into the house can be harder than getting upstairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on exterior steps. When a wheelchair has to come along, a vertical platform lift can replace a ramp where there is no room for one. We measure the steps and the approach before recommending either.
Benson County has a population of 1,842, and 9.5% of residents are 65 or older. About 57.4% of residents are homeowners, so most families who need a lift are adapting a house they already own rather than moving.
With towns spread out and few other options nearby, staying in the home often means making it work.
No program on this page lists stair lifts by name, so expect to ask questions and confirm before you count on funding. Several programs do pay for home modifications in general, and a lift may qualify when it keeps someone safely at home.
The best first call is the Aging and Disability Resource Link at (855) 462-5465. They are the door to the SPED and Medicaid waiver programs. The state Aging Services Division in Bismarck is at (701) 328-8910.
Veterans should start with the Benson County Veterans Service Office in the courthouse in Minnewaukan. Rural homeowners with low income can look at USDA repair loans and grants. It is also worth asking about the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled and the Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program, which can ease the overall cost.
A state home modification benefit for people already eligible for SPED, ExSPED or the Medicaid Waiver for the Aged and Disabled; its policy lists ramps, doorway widening, bathroom and kitchen changes and grab bars, but stair lifts are not named. Call (855) 462-5465 to ask whether a lift could be approved.
A statewide information and referral line for seniors and adults with physical disabilities, including Benson County residents, that connects people to in-home services; it makes no direct payments and does not itemize stair lifts. Call (855) 462-5465.
Federal loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older with very low income in eligible rural areas, which includes Benson County. Accessibility repairs are only possibly covered and stair lifts are not named.
Grants for veterans with certain serious service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA describes ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A center for independent living serving people with disabilities in Northeast North Dakota, with a Devils Lake outreach office that covers Benson County and an accessibility specialist on staff; stair lifts are not listed, so confirm directly. Call (800) 726-3692.
A county office at the courthouse in Minnewaukan that helps veterans apply for VA programs; it does not fund modifications itself. The general county number is (701) 473-5340.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
Courthouse 311 B Avenue South, Minnewaukan, 58352
The Environmental Modification service under SPED and the Medicaid Waiver for the Aged and Disabled pays for home changes, but its policy does not name stair lifts. You must already qualify for one of those programs. Call (855) 462-5465 and ask whether a lift could be approved for your situation.
Yes, possibly. USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are open to homeowners 62 and older with very low income in eligible rural areas, and Benson County is eligible. Stair lifts are not named, so ask whether an accessibility repair would qualify.
Start with the Benson County Veterans Service Office at the courthouse, 311 B Avenue South in Minnewaukan. It is listed at (701) 473-5451, and the general county number is (701) 473-5340. The VA itself is at (800) 827-1000.
Not always. A short straight run can take a short straight rail. If the stairs turn or have a landing, a curved rail built to fit them is usually the answer, and we measure before quoting.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps exposed to weather. If a wheelchair needs to get in too, a vertical platform lift may be a better fit than a ramp.
Options / Interstate Resource Center for Independent Living has an outreach office in Devils Lake with an accessibility specialist who covers Benson County. Call (800) 726-3692 to ask what they can help with.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
