Allegany County is hill country. Alma Hill rises to 2,548 feet, the highest point west of the Catskill Mountains, and the Genesee River cuts the county from south to north. Villages and hamlets like Wellsville, Belmont, Cuba, Angelica and Fillmore sit in the valleys and on the slopes between them.
That ground shapes the houses. Many homes here were built into sloped lots, with raised front entries and full staircases inside. For someone who has lived in the same house for decades, those steps can become the hardest part of the day. A stair lift is one way to keep using the whole house.
A house built into a hillside often has two stair problems: the steps up to the front door and the staircase inside. A straight indoor lift handles a single, uninterrupted flight between floors. It is usually the simplest install.
The outside steps are a separate question. On a raised entry, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can carry a person from the yard to the door. In a county where valley communities flooded during Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, many homes sit on elevated lots, so those exterior steps are common.
Split-level homes are their own puzzle. Short flights with landings and turns often call for a curved lift, which is built to follow the exact shape of the staircase. We measure each turn before recommending one.
Ranch-style homes usually keep everything on one floor, but a basement stair to the laundry or furnace can still be a barrier, and a straight lift often fits there. Townhouses and walk-up apartments tend to have narrow, straight runs. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit than a chair.
Allegany County has about 51,606 residents across 34 towns, and 19.4 percent are 65 or older. Homeownership runs at 78.6 percent, so most older residents own the house they plan to stay in.
The county has no VA facility listed in our records, so veterans usually start with the Allegany County Veterans’ Agency in Belmont at (585) 268-9387.
Median household income in the county is $62,869, and the poverty rate is 16.2 percent, higher than the 12.5 percent national average. That means many families look for grants or low-cost loans before paying out of pocket.
Be aware of one thing up front: none of the program sources we checked name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Programs that fund accessibility modifications or home repairs may still be worth a call, and the list below shows who to contact.
A good first stop is the Allegany County Office for the Aging at 6085 Route 19 N in Belmont, phone (585) 268-9390. Statewide options also include New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC), the New York RESTORE Program and New York EISEP.
A state grant for accessibility modifications such as ramps, lifts, handrails and doorway widening for households at or below 80% of area median income (120% for veterans with a service-connected disability); stair lifts are not named in the source. Individuals apply through a local administrator rather than the state, so call (585) 268-7241 to ask whether funding is active.
Helps homeowners who live in their home finance repairs, with taxes and insurance current and a lien required for repair loans; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (585) 268-7605.
A volunteer program that provides free minor home repairs for older residents, with the client supplying materials; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (585) 268-9390.
A Medicaid waiver for people 18 and older who need nursing-facility level of care, funding an individual plan that can include home modifications and assistive technology; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (607) 724-2111.
A free consultation and referral service for people with disabilities and their families that recommends the least expensive route to accessibility, though it does not fund work itself; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (607) 724-2111.
Federal loans for very-low-income rural homeowners to repair or improve their homes, and grants for those 62 and older to remove hazards or improve accessibility; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Eligibility depends on the address, so confirm with a USDA Rural Development field office.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified structural changes to a primary residence. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are explicitly excluded.
A grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not named in the source. The Allegany County Veterans’ Agency at (585) 268-9387 can help with VA applications.
A grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain respiratory injuries; stair lifts are not named in the source. The Allegany County Veterans’ Agency at (585) 268-9387 can help.
Older adults
6085 Route 19 N, Belmont, 14813
Veterans
6085 State Route 19N, Belmont, 14813
The HISA grant will not, because it explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask the Allegany County Veterans’ Agency at (585) 268-9387.
No. Individuals cannot apply directly to the state. Municipalities and nonprofits receive the funding and administer it locally, so call (585) 268-7241 to learn whether an award is active in Allegany County.
The NHTD waiver serves people 18 and older who need nursing-facility level of care, with a documented permanent physical disability required if under 65. Call (607) 724-2111 for details.
The Handyman Program covers free minor home repairs, and the client provides materials. The source does not mention stair lifts, but the office at (585) 268-9390 is a good place to ask what else is available.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can run along exterior steps. Many Allegany County homes have raised entries on sloped lots, so we look at the outside steps and the inside staircase together.
USDA Section 504 offers loans to very-low-income homeowners and grants to those 62 and older to improve accessibility. Eligibility depends on your address, so check with a USDA Rural Development field office.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
