From the 19th-century streets of Auburn to the villages along Owasco Lake and Cayuga Lake, many Cayuga County homes were built long before anyone planned for aging in place. Moravia's North Main Street Historic District alone has 44 contributing Italianate buildings, and Auburn holds landmarks like the William H. Seward House and the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged.
Older houses like these often have one narrow, original staircase as the only way between floors. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift, which kind tends to fit local homes, and which county, state and federal programs to call about paying for one.
Local housing spans the Federal period (c.1796-1830) through Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. Those eras left a lot of steep, narrow stairs, sometimes with a landing or a turn partway up.
A single straight run is usually the simplest fit, because the rail mounts to the stair treads and not the wall. A staircase that turns or has a landing calls for a curved rail built to that exact stair. In a narrow original stairway, we check that the folded seat still leaves room for others to walk past.
Detached single-family houses make up much of the county, but split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are part of the mix too. A split-level often has several short flights, and each one has to be measured on its own.
In a walk-up or rental, the building owner needs to agree before anything is mounted. Homes near the water or out in rural towns may also have exterior steps to a porch or entry, where an outdoor-rated lift or a platform lift can be the better choice.
Cayuga County covers 864 square miles, and 172 of them are water. Owasco Lake sits at the center, Cayuga Lake forms the western edge, Lake Ontario lies to the north, and Skaneateles Lake and Cross Lake run along the east.
The county seat of Auburn had 27,687 people in 2020, and Interstate 90, U.S. Route 20 and state routes such as 34, 38 and 90 tie it to places like Moravia, Weedsport, Port Byron, Union Springs and Fair Haven. We plan in-home measuring visits along those roads, so a home in Sterling or Sempronius gets the same visit as one in Auburn.
About 20.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and 72.9% own their homes. That means many people are planning to stay in a house they own, often one with stairs that were never meant for a lift.
If that includes your parent, the VA programs below are worth a call, though one of them does not cover stair lifts.
Most programs listed here describe home repairs, accessibility or home modifications in general terms and do not name stair lifts. That does not rule them out, but it does mean coverage is decided case by case.
The best first call for anyone 60 or older is the Cayuga County Office for the Aging at 160 Genesee Street in Auburn, (315) 253-1226. It handles intake for EISEP and can point you to the current RESTORE administrator. Veterans can also reach the Cayuga County Veterans’ Service Agency at 95 Genesee Street, 3rd Floor, Auburn, at (315) 253-1281.
The county's intake, screening and referral office for residents 60+ and their caregivers, including limited non-medical in-home aide services. Its page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (315) 253-1226.
A New York State in-home services program for people 60+ who need help with daily activities and are not eligible for Medicaid-covered services, with cost-sharing based on income. It describes home repairs and assistive devices generically but does not list stair lifts; apply through the Office for the Aging at (315) 253-1226.
A state grant of up to $20,000 for homeowners 60+ with income at or below 100% of area median income, for emergency repairs and code violations. Stair lifts are not mentioned, and you apply through a Local Program Administrator; the Office for the Aging at (315) 253-1226 can tell you who that is.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural parts of the county, not the City of Auburn, with grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ to remove hazards or improve accessibility. Stair lifts are not specifically listed.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for disability-related structural changes to a veteran's home. The VA specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for veterans or family members who own or will own the home and have a qualifying service-connected disability. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 827-1000.
A Medicaid waiver for disabled adults 18-64 and seniors 65+ who need nursing-facility level care, with home and vehicle modifications as a named service. Stair lifts are not itemized, and income and asset limits apply.
Up to $3,000 per project for owner-occupied homes assessed at $100,000 or below, with household income below 80% of area median income, covering health and safety work including accessibility upgrades. Stair lifts are not named; call (315) 255-1427.
Older adults
160 Genesee Street, Auburn, 13021
Veterans
95 Genesee Street, 3rd Floor, Auburn, 13021
Often it can, because the rail mounts to the treads rather than the wall. Many of the county's older homes have a single narrow original staircase, so we measure the width and any turns in person before recommending a straight or curved lift.
The HISA grant does not; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so call (800) 827-1000 or the Cayuga County Veterans’ Service Agency at (315) 253-1281 to ask.
Most programs here start at 60 or 62. The NHTD Medicaid waiver also covers physically disabled adults 18-64 who need nursing-facility level care.
RESTORE offers up to $20,000 for emergency repairs and code violations, and its page does not mention stair lifts. Ask the Office for the Aging at (315) 253-1226 for the local administrator, who can answer for your situation.
USDA Section 504 repair grants and loans apply in eligible rural parts of the county but not the City of Auburn. Grants are limited to very-low-income homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan.
Start with the Cayuga County Office for the Aging at (315) 253-1226. It is the intake point for EISEP and can steer you toward RESTORE and other aging services.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
