Delaware County's older river settlements of Chester, Clifton Heights, Eddystone, Ridley and Nether Providence are full of two- and three-story pre-war rowhouses and twins. Many were built as worker housing before and during both world wars. They have full staircases, and the stairwells are often narrow.
Head west and north toward Thornbury, Concord or Newtown and the houses change, but the stairs don't go away. Graded and hilly lots and multi-level layouts add steps inside and out. This page covers which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes across the county's 57 towns, and which local programs can help pay for one.
In Upper Darby, Darby, Collingdale, Folcroft, Glenolden and the older parts of Chester and Ridley, the typical stair is one long, straight run between floors. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for that layout. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Narrow stairwells are the main thing we measure for in these homes. A lift has to leave room for others to use the stairs when it is parked, so we check the width at the top and bottom landings before recommending a model. Some rowhouses have a turn or a winder step near the top, which calls for a curved rail.
Delaware County is crossed by Darby, Crum, Ridley and Chester creeks, and the land climbs from the industrial belt along the Delaware River up through Victorian towns built around rail stations. Many homes in places like Springfield, Marple, Broomall and Media-area townships sit on sloped lots.
Split-level homes often have several short flights instead of one long one. A curved lift can follow a path around a landing, and sometimes a short straight lift on each flight costs less than one long custom rail. Where the hill puts steps between the driveway and the front door, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be the answer.
About 69.9 percent of households in the county own their home, and 17.1 percent of residents are 65 or older. Many are long-tenured owners from the county's manufacturing and shift-work years who plan to stay in the houses they paid off.
That matters for funding. Several programs below require you to own and live in the home, and the county aging office serves residents 60 and older.
The Delaware County Whole Home Repair Program is the most direct route here, because stair lifts are an explicitly listed eligible service, with up to $50,000 per home for health, safety and accessibility work. It is limited to income-qualified homeowners.
For people who need ongoing care, the Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) at (610) 490-1300 is the front door to the CHC waiver and OPTIONS. Veterans can call the Delaware County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at (610) 891-4646 in Media. The full list of programs is below.
Administered by Habitat for Humanity MontDelco, this program pays up to $50,000 per home for health, safety and accessibility repairs, and stair lifts are an explicitly listed eligible service. Income-qualified homeowners with current insurance, taxes and mortgage can call (610) 891-4943.
This Medicaid waiver can fund environmental adaptations and home modifications case by case for people 21 and older who meet nursing facility level of care; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Delaware County residents are assessed through COSA and the Independent Enrollment Broker at (800) 757-5042.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 to 59 with severe physical disabilities that can cover home adaptations within an approved service plan; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (877) 550-4227.
Run locally by Delaware County COSA for residents 60 and older, with a sliding-scale cost share and no income threshold; home modifications and assistive devices may be offered at COSA's discretion, though stair lifts are not named. Call (610) 490-1300.
The county Area Agency on Aging does needs assessments for residents 60 and older and connects them to CHC, OPTIONS and in-home services; it is not a funding source itself, and stair lift coverage is not stated. Call (610) 490-1300 or visit 206 Eddystone Ave., Eddystone.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 to buy, build or modify a home for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, usable on up to 6 occasions; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (877) 827-3702.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 to adapt a permanent home for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, usable on up to 6 occasions; the source does not list stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702.
A Center for Independent Living serving Delaware County that offers advocacy, nursing-home transition support and home-modification connections through Liberty Home Solutions rather than a fixed grant; stair lift coverage is unknown. Call (215) 634-2000.
HUD funds administered by the Delaware County Office of Housing & Community Development that may pay for residential rehabilitation and handicap-access improvements for low-to-moderate-income households in participating municipalities; stair lifts are not named. Call (610) 891-5425.
Older adults
206 Eddystone Ave., Eddystone, 19022
Veterans
Government Center, First Floor - Room 106, 201 W. Front St., Media, 19063
Yes. The Delaware County Whole Home Repair Program, administered by Habitat for Humanity MontDelco, names stair lifts as an eligible service and covers up to $50,000 per home. Call (610) 891-4943 to ask about an application.
Limits range from $62,500 for a single-occupant household to $117,850 for a household of 8 or more. You also must own and live in the home, carry homeowner's insurance and be current on property taxes and your mortgage.
COSA and OPTIONS serve people 60 and older, but the OBRA Waiver covers adults 18 to 59 with severe physical disabilities, and the CHC waiver starts at age 21 for people who need nursing facility level of care. Liberty Resources at (215) 634-2000 also works with people with disabilities of any age in its area.
Narrow stairwells are common in the county's pre-war rowhouses and twins, so the width has to be measured at the stairs and both landings. Many straight runs in these homes can take a lift, and a turn near the top means a curved rail.
Call the Delaware County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at (610) 891-4646, at the Government Center in Media. The VA SAH and SHA grants require a qualifying service-connected disability; you can reach the VA at (877) 827-3702.
Start with Delaware County Services for Aging at (610) 490-1300. They do the needs assessment for residents 60 and older and can point you toward CHC, OPTIONS or other programs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
