Columbia County runs from the Hudson River valley in the west to the Taconic and Berkshire Mountains on the Massachusetts line, where the land tops out at about 2,110 feet near Alander Mountain. In between are 27 towns and hamlets, from Kinderhook and Valatie to Chatham, Philmont, Hillsdale and Copake Lake, plus many working farms on rolling ground.
That spread means stair lift work here looks different from house to house. A walk-up apartment in Hudson, a split-level in Ghent and a hillside farmhouse in Austerlitz each raise their own questions about rails, landings and outdoor steps. This page walks through what to look for at home and which local programs can help with the cost.
The county has been settled a long time. The William Henry Ludlow House in Hudson, built in 1786, is one example of the colonial and early federal era buildings still standing here.
Most of what we see on visits falls into four groups: single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A single run of stairs with no turns usually takes a straight lift, which is the simplest rail to fit. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail made for that staircase.
Split-level homes often have several short flights rather than one long one. We look at which levels you actually use each day before suggesting a lift for any of them. In a walk-up apartment or townhouse, the building owner may need to approve the work, so it helps to ask early.
The ground rises from the river valley toward the mountains on the eastern edge of the county. Many rural properties sit on sloped lots with entries on more than one level, so the hardest steps are sometimes the ones outside.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can run along porch or entry steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We check the slope, the footing and where the lift will park when not in use before recommending either.
About 25.1% of Columbia County residents are 65 or older, and 75.6% own their homes. Many families want a parent to stay in a house they have lived in for decades rather than move.
If a veteran lives in the home, ask the Columbia County Veterans Services Agency at (518) 828-3610 about VA grants before you sign anything, since the paperwork can take time.
Two programs in our list name stair lifts directly: the NYS Access to Home Program and the NYS Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid Waiver. Access to Home offers grants of up to $25,000 per home for people with a physical disability whose income is at or below 80% of area median income.
Other local sources, such as the Office for the Aging Home Repair Fund and Habitat for Humanity's repair program, list ramps and grab bars but do not mention stair lifts. They can still be worth a call for related work like an entry ramp.
A good first call is the Columbia County Office for the Aging at (518) 828-4258, which also serves as NY Connects. Statewide options to ask about include New York RESTORE Program, New York EISEP and New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC).
A state grant that lists stair glides among funded repairs, paying up to $25,000 per home for people with a physical disability at or below 80% of area median income (120% for certain disabled veterans). Call (518) 828-7217, or if you live outside the City of Hudson ask NY Connects at (518) 828-4258 for the current local administrator.
A Medicaid waiver for seniors and people with physical disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care; stair lifts can be covered as an environmental modification when they are part of the approved service plan. Call (518) 828-4258.
Emergency and minor home repair help for low-income older adults in the county; the program page names grab bars and ramps but does not mention stair lifts. Call (518) 828-4258 for a Senior Home Repair Fund application.
Minor repairs, ramps and accessibility work for seniors, disabled and low-income homeowners in Columbia and Greene counties; stair lifts are not mentioned, and 2026 applications were closed at last check. Call (518) 828-0892.
An independent living center at 802 Columbia Street in Hudson offering advocacy and referrals for people with disabilities; it does not fund stair lifts itself but can point you to programs that might. Call (518) 828-4886.
Federal loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants for those 62 and older; stair lifts are not named in the source. Eligibility depends on your address, and denser parts of the City of Hudson may not qualify.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; the VA describes ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 827-1000.
A smaller VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities; the source does not list stair lifts as covered. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
325 Columbia Street, Hudson, 12534
Veterans
389 Fairview Ave, Suite 7, Hudson, 12534
It can. The state program manual lists stair glides among typical funded repairs, with a limit of $25,000 per home. You need a documented physical disability, income at or below 80% of area median income, and the home must be your primary residence.
Call NY Connects at the Columbia County Office for the Aging, (518) 828-4258. The local administrator for Access to Home can change from one funding round to the next, and they can tell you who is handling it now.
Through the NHTD Medicaid Waiver, yes, if the person is Medicaid-eligible, meets a nursing-facility level of care and the lift is tied to documented medical needs in the service plan. There is no fixed dollar cap; amounts are set case by case.
Its program page names only grab bars and ramps and does not mention stair lifts. It may still help with related repairs, so it is worth asking at (518) 828-4258.
Start with the Columbia County Veterans Services Agency at 389 Fairview Ave, Suite 7 in Hudson, (518) 828-3610. Disabled veterans may also qualify for Access to Home at a higher income limit of 120% of area median income.
Usually, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather, and a platform lift may suit someone in a wheelchair. We look at the slope and the entry layout during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
