Greene County climbs from sea level along the Hudson River to roughly 4,040 feet at Hunter Mountain. Along the way are 22 towns and hamlets, from Catskill, Coxsackie and Athens in the east to Windham, Jewett, Lexington, Prattsville and Halcott in the west. A house in Cementon and a house in Tannersville can sit on very different ground, and that changes what kind of stair lift makes sense.
The county's homes are old, too. The Pieter Bronck House in Coxsackie was built in 1667, and Catskill still has 18th- and 19th-century stone houses. Many stone and wood-frame homes here were built long before modern accessibility codes, so narrow, steep original staircases are common. This page explains how those stairs and slopes affect a stair lift and where Greene County residents can look for help paying for one.
In the older towns and villages, the first thing we check is the staircase itself. Original stairs in stone and wood-frame houses tend to be narrow and steep, and some turn or have landings partway up.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest and quickest install. A stair that turns, winds or stops at a landing needs a curved rail built to the exact shape of those steps.
Steep, tight stairs also mean we measure clearance carefully. The seat, footrest and rail all have to fit with room for anyone else who still uses the stairs.
Greene County housing also includes single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes and walk-up apartments. A split-level often has two or three short flights instead of one long one, so a household may need more than one lift or a curved rail that links the runs.
Townhouses usually have a single interior staircase between floors, which often suits a straight rail. Walk-up apartments raise a different question: the renter needs the building owner's consent before anything is attached to the stairs.
The southern and western parts of the county rise sharply into the Catskill Mountains, and much of Catskill Park lies within Greene County. Many rural homes there sit on sloped, multi-level lots, so the hard part of getting into the house can be outside.
Exterior steps up to a porch or a door on a hillside may call for an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift that carries the chair itself may be the better fit. We look at both the inside stairs and the path from the driveway before recommending anything.
About 23.8% of Greene County residents are 65 or older, and 77.2% of households own their homes. Many of those owners want to stay in houses their families have held for a long time rather than move.
For them, the Greene County Veterans Service Agency in Leeds is a good first call before looking at federal housing grants.
Only one program below names stair lifts outright: the NYS Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid Waiver, and only for people who meet its medical and Medicaid rules. The others cover ramps, repairs or home accessibility work but do not mention stair lifts by name, so ask directly before counting on them.
The easiest place to start is the Greene County Dept for the Aging at 411 Main Street in Catskill, (518) 719-3555. Staff there can point you toward state programs such as Access to Home and the NHTD waiver.
Veterans should call the Veteran’s Service Agency at (518) 943-3703 for help with VA claims and referrals.
A statewide grant for accessibility work in the primary residence of a person with a physical disability whose household income is at or below 80% of area median income (120% for certain disabled veterans). Its listed work includes ramps, lifts, handrails and doorway widening but does not name stair lifts, so call (518) 719-3555 to ask which local administrator serves your address.
A Medicaid waiver for seniors and people with physical disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care and want to live in the community, and it does cover stair lifts when they are part of the approved service plan. Call (518) 719-3555 to confirm current details and how to apply.
A case-managed in-home help program for Greene County residents 60 and older, with income-based cost sharing; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. It is still the best local intake point for referrals to state programs, at (518) 719-3555.
Builds ramps and does minor repairs, grab bars and accessibility modifications for senior, disabled or low-income homeowners in Columbia and Greene counties; stair lifts are not listed. Applications for 2026 are closed, and the next opening is expected in 2027, so call (518) 828-0892 or sign up for the newsletter.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older, with a $50,000 combined ceiling. Stair lifts are not listed, and your address must fall in a USDA-eligible rural area.
Provides up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA's examples are ramps and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not listed; call (800) 827-1000.
Provides up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns. Stair lifts are not listed as covered; call (800) 827-1000.
A free local office that helps veterans with VA claims and referrals but does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (518) 943-3703 as the starting point for VA housing grants.
Older adults
411 Main Street, Catskill, 12414
Veterans
300 Route 23B, Leeds, 12451
It can through the NYS Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid Waiver, which names stair lifts. You must be Medicaid-eligible, meet a nursing-facility level of care, and the lift must be tied to documented medical needs in your service plan. Call (518) 719-3555 to check current details.
EISEP through Greene County Aging Services is for residents 60 and older. Younger people with a physical disability can look at the NYS Access to Home Program or the NHTD waiver, both of which are based on disability rather than age.
Often it can, but we need to measure. Narrow, steep original stairs are common in the county's older homes, and a stair that turns or has a landing will need a curved rail made for those exact steps.
Columbia-Greene Habitat for Humanity has closed applications for its 2026 Habitat Helping Hands cycle and expects to open again in 2027. Its work covers ramps, repairs and accessibility modifications, but stair lifts are not named. Call (518) 828-0892 to get on the list.
The NYS Access to Home Program allows rental units as long as the owner consents and it is your primary residence. Any installation on shared stairs needs the building owner's approval first.
Call the Veteran’s Service Agency in Leeds at (518) 943-3703. Staff help with VA claims and can refer you to the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants, which list ramps and doorway widening rather than stair lifts.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
