Rensselaer County runs from the flat Hudson River shoreline at Troy, Rensselaer and Castleton-on-Hudson, up onto the Rensselaer Plateau around Poestenkill and Sand Lake, and then to the Taconic Mountains along the Massachusetts line. Berlin Mountain tops out at 2,818 feet. Across 25 towns and about 652 square miles of land, that climb shapes how houses are built and how many steps sit between the driveway and the bedroom.
Much of the housing in older Capital Region communities such as Troy and East Greenbush went up well before modern accessibility codes existed. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift, how the different parts of the county tend to differ, and which programs a homeowner or family can call about paying for one.
The county's housing mix includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In the older neighborhoods near the Hudson, staircases were built for the way people lived generations ago, not for mobility equipment. Before we recommend anything, we measure the stair width, check what the rail can anchor to, and look at the landings at the top and bottom.
Older houses here often need repairs to structure, wiring, plumbing or heat alongside any accessibility work. If a stairway or the wall beside it has problems, it makes sense to sort those out first so the lift is mounted on something sound.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind partway up need a curved rail built to that exact staircase.
East of the Hudson corridor, the ground rises fast. Many homes in places like Poestenkill, Sand Lake, Averill Park, Grafton, Berlin, Stephentown and Petersburgh sit on sloped lots or have multi-level layouts shaped by the hillside.
That often means more than one set of stairs. A family may need a lift inside to reach the bedrooms and a second solution for the steps from the driveway or porch to the front door. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather, and a platform lift can be a better fit where a wheelchair has to come along.
During the visit we look at every set of steps the person uses on a normal day, inside and out, so nothing gets missed.
Rensselaer County has a population of 180,997, and 18.0 percent of residents are 65 or older.
For apartment and townhouse residents, the building owner or association usually has to approve anything fastened to a shared stairway. In a single-family home, the owner makes that call, which keeps the process simpler.
Only one program listed below names stair lifts outright: the NHTD Medicaid waiver, which lists stair lifts and vertical lifts among its environmental modifications. It is for Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it is reached through a Capital Region service coordination agency.
Other programs fund accessibility work without naming stair lifts, or serve as places to ask for referrals. The Department for the Aging at (518) 270-2730 and NY Connects at (518) 270-2767 are good first calls if you are not sure where you fit.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Rensselaer County Veterans Service Agency in East Greenbush, (518) 270-2760, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
A statewide New York Medicaid waiver that lists stair lifts and vertical lifts among covered environmental modifications, approved case by case based on medical necessity. It is for Medicaid-eligible residents who meet nursing-facility level of care; contact a Capital Region NHTD service coordination agency or the NY Department of Health NHTD program.
Provides homemaking, personal care, chore help and Lifeline medical-alert access for county residents age 60 and older; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (518) 270-2730 for screening and referrals to modification programs.
A no-cost information and referral service for long-term care, open to any county resident, with a Home Modification Tips resource; it does not list funding for stair lifts itself. Call (518) 270-2767 or 800-342-9871.
A state grant for low- and moderate-income people with disabilities that funds modifications such as ramps and lifts, handrails, doorway widening and roll-in showers, though stair lifts are not named. Homeowners apply through a Local Program Administrator, not directly; the income limit is 80% of area median income, or 120% for veterans with a service-connected disability.
A nonprofit repair grant of up to $10,000 for structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, roof and similar repairs on owner-occupied single-family homes outside the City of Troy; accessibility work and stair lifts are not listed. The Mini-Repair and HomeOwner Repair programs were on hold as of the latest check, so call (518) 272-8289 for current status.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in USDA-eligible rural areas, with a combined limit of $50,000. Accessibility features such as ramps are mentioned, but stair lifts are not listed, and eligibility depends on the exact address.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural alterations for eligible veterans, applied for through the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. It does not cover stair lifts; stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. Stair lifts are not listed by name; the Rensselaer County Veterans Service Agency at (518) 270-2760 can help with VA questions.
Offers peer advocacy, benefits advisement and community-living support for people with disabilities in Rensselaer County and neighboring counties, from its office at 15 3rd St, Troy. It does not list a stair lift program; call (518) 274-0701 for advocacy and referrals.
Older adults
1600 Seventh Avenue, Troy, 12180
Veterans
99 Troy Road, East Greenbush, 12061
The NHTD Medicaid waiver lists stair lifts and vertical lifts among its environmental modifications. It serves Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers who meet nursing-facility level of care, and approval is case by case through a service coordinator.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Rensselaer County Veterans Service Agency at 99 Troy Road in East Greenbush, (518) 270-2760, can help review other VA options.
The Department for the Aging's EISEP program serves county residents age 60 and older with in-home services like personal care and chore help. It does not list stair lifts, but the staff at (518) 270-2730 can refer you to modification programs.
Yes, homes on sloped lots often need both an indoor lift and an outdoor solution for the entry steps. We look at every set of stairs during the visit, and a platform lift may make sense if a wheelchair is involved.
Its Fix It Up program covers repairs like roofs, wiring, plumbing and heat, not accessibility equipment, and those repair programs were on hold as of the latest check. It can still be worth calling (518) 272-8289 if the house needs repairs before a lift goes in.
NY Connects offers no-cost help to any county resident regardless of income. Call (518) 270-2767 or 800-342-9871 to talk through your situation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
