Walk through the 19th Ward, Corn Hill or Browncroft and you see the same thing on block after block: Colonial, Tudor and Victorian houses built mostly between the 1890s and the 1930s, with the bedrooms upstairs and one full flight of stairs to reach them. That pattern carries out into the inner-ring suburbs too, from Brighton and Irondequoit to Gates and East Rochester.
Across all 32 towns in Monroe County, from Hamlin and Parma near the lake to Rush and Honeoye Falls in the south, the question we hear is practical. Can this staircase take a lift, which kind does it need, and is there any local money to help pay for it? This page walks through those answers for Monroe County homes.
In a two-story Victorian or Tudor, the problem is rarely a single step at the front door. It is the full interior flight between the kitchen and the bedrooms. A ramp cannot solve that, which is why an interior stair lift is so often the modification that lets someone keep living in the house they know.
About 18.2% of Monroe County residents are 65 or older, and 64.0% of households own their homes. Many of those owners have been in the same older house for decades, and moving the bedroom downstairs is not always possible in these floor plans.
A straight staircase with no turns takes a straight rail, which is the simplest and quickest kind of install. If your stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, the rail has to be bent to follow them, and that is a curved stair lift. We measure every staircase in person before recommending one or the other.
Split-level homes are a different case. Instead of one long flight, you have short runs between levels, so the real question is which levels the person needs to reach every day. Townhouses and row houses tend to have narrower stairs, so we check the width carefully to make sure the chair and rail leave room for others to use the steps.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit. It carries the chair itself, but it needs more space than a seated stair lift.
Rochester sits on the southern shore of Lake Ontario and averages just above 100 inches of snow a year, much of it lake-effect. Porch steps and exterior stairs stay slick for a large part of the winter.
Outdoor stair lifts exist and are built for weather, but in this climate many families decide the first priority is safe movement indoors, so a parent is not forced onto icy steps more than necessary. If an outdoor entry is the only way into the home, we can look at that too and talk through how snow and ice affect daily use.
A stair lift is a several-thousand-dollar purchase, so it makes sense to check local programs before paying out of pocket. Most of the programs below fund accessibility work or home repairs in general, and none of their published materials name stair lifts specifically. Call and ask directly whether your project qualifies.
Where you live matters. The county Home Improvement Program serves suburban towns and villages but not the City of Rochester, the Town of Greece or the Town of Irondequoit, which run their own housing-rehab programs. Veterans should start with the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency at (585) 753-6040, 125 Westfall Road in Rochester.
For anyone 60 or older, or a caregiver trying to sort out options, the Monroe County Office for Aging at 435 East Henrietta Road 3rd Floor in Rochester is a good first call at (585) 753-6280. Statewide options to ask about include New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC), the New York RESTORE Program, New York EISEP and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A county housing rehabilitation grant of up to $20,000, depending on repair costs and household income, for income-eligible homeowners in suburban towns and villages (not the City of Rochester, Greece or Irondequoit), processed first-come, first-served. Its listed work includes accessibility accommodations such as ramps and lifts, but stair lifts are not named, so confirm with Planning & Development at (585) 753-2000.
A state-funded in-home services program for people 60 and older who need help with daily activities, run locally through the Monroe County Office for the Aging, at no cost or on a sliding scale. Its ancillary services may include home repairs and assistive devices, though stair lifts are not listed by name; call (585) 325-2800.
A free information and referral service open to any Monroe County resident, including older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers. It is not a funding source and does not mention stair lifts, but it can point you to programs that might help; call (585) 325-2800.
A federal VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) to build, buy or modify a home for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both legs. Stair lifts are not named in the program materials; call (585) 753-6040 for help applying.
A federal VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns or specific respiratory injuries. Stair lifts are not named; call (585) 753-6040.
A federal VA grant to adapt a family member's home where an SAH- or SHA-eligible veteran is temporarily living, up to $50,961 or $9,100 depending on eligibility. Stair lifts are not named; call (585) 753-6040.
The county office that helps veterans, dependents and survivors file claims and find benefits, including grants to adapt housing. It does not fund projects directly and does not name stair lifts; call (585) 753-6040.
A non-profit program offering no-cost health, safety and accessibility repairs for owner-occupied homes with household income below 80% of Area Median Income. Stair lifts are not listed, and Monroe County applications were closed at last review; call (585) 546-1470 to check status.
A non-profit home rehabilitation and weatherization program for low-to-moderate-income homeowners in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region; no dollar amount is published and stair lifts are not listed. Call (585) 340-3300 to confirm whether your home qualifies.
Older adults
435 East Henrietta Road 3rd Floor, Rochester, 14620
Veterans
125 Westfall Road, Rochester, 14620
No. The Monroe County Home Improvement Program excludes the Town of Greece, the City of Rochester and the Town of Irondequoit, which run their own separate housing-rehab programs. Residents of the other suburban towns and villages can call (585) 753-2000.
EISEP requires an age of 60 or older. NY Connects, at (585) 325-2800, is open to any Monroe County resident, including people with disabilities, and can refer you to other options such as New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC).
The VA housing grants (SAH, SHA and TRA) fund home modifications for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but their materials do not name stair lifts. The Monroe County Veterans Service Agency at (585) 753-6040 can help you file and ask whether your project fits.
At last review, Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity had closed Monroe County applications for its Home Repairs Program, while Ontario and Wayne County remained open. Call (585) 546-1470 to see if that has changed.
Rochester averages just above 100 inches of snow a year, so outdoor steps stay icy for much of the winter. Outdoor lifts are an option when an exterior entry is unavoidable, but many families put an indoor lift first so daily trips between floors stay safe.
It depends on which levels the person needs every day. If bedroom, bathroom and kitchen can be reached with one short flight, one lift may be enough. We look at the layout in person before recommending anything.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
