El Paso County runs from the Rio Grande valley floor up into the foothills of the Franklin Mountains, and its 19 towns reach from Canutillo and Anthony in the west to San Elizario, Fabens and Tornillo down the valley. Down on the desert flats, many people live in single-story ranch homes. Up in Kern Place, Coronado Hills and the Country Club areas, sloped lots often mean multi-level houses with stairs inside or at the front entry.
That split matters when a family starts thinking about a stair lift. A ranch home may only have a few steps at the door, while a hillside home can have a full flight between living space and bedrooms. This page walks through what each kind of home usually needs and which local programs can help cover the cost.
The foothill neighborhoods were built into the slope, so many homes there have more than one level. When the bedroom or main bathroom sits up or down a flight, a stair lift can let someone keep using the whole house instead of moving everything to one floor.
A straight staircase with no landings usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around need a curved rail built to fit that staircase. We measure on site before recommending either one.
Historic El Paso housing included low, flat adobe construction, and much of the modern city is single-story ranch homes. These houses rarely need an indoor stair lift. The problem is more often the steps at the front door or back patio.
For a short run of outdoor steps, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can work, and a ramp may be the better choice if there is room. Across the county you also find townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In a rental or shared stairwell, the owner or building manager has to approve any lift before it goes in.
El Paso sits in the Chihuahuan Desert at roughly 3,740 feet. In the dry season, sand and dust storms bring winds exceeding 30 mph, which makes outside steps harder and riskier for an older adult.
If a lift will be mounted outdoors, it should be a model built for outdoor use, with a cover for the seat and controls. Dust is hard on moving parts, so plan on keeping the rail clean and having it serviced.
About 13.3% of county residents are 65 or older, and 63.0% of households own their home. Owners can generally install a lift without asking anyone, which is often the first hurdle cleared.
Veterans should know that some VA home grants have firm rules about stair lifts, covered in the next section.
The median household income here is $59,806, and the poverty rate is 18.7%, well above the 12.5% national average. Many older homeowners do not have spare savings for a lift, so it is worth calling the programs below before paying out of pocket.
Three local and state sources list home modifications as something they fund: the STAR+PLUS Minor Home Modifications benefit, the AYUDA Older Adult Home Modification Program and the Area Agency on Aging of the Rio Grande. None of them name stair lifts specifically, so ask each one directly whether a lift qualifies for your case.
Veterans can reach the El Paso County Veterans Assistance Office at (915) 273-3454, 4641 Cohen Ave, Suite D, El Paso 79924. The Rio Grande AAA office is at 1100 N. Stanton St., Suite 610, El Paso 79902, phone (915) 533-0998. Statewide programs also include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A Medicaid managed-care benefit that covers home modifications up to a $7,500 lifetime cap per member, then $300 a year for repairs or additions, for members 65+ or adults 21+ with disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care. Stair lifts are not named, so approval is case by case through the member's MCO service coordinator.
A HUD-funded nonprofit program that does safety and accessibility home modifications and limited repairs for low-income elderly homeowners in El Paso County. Call case manager Maribel Espinoza at (915) 851-0272 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
Its Care Coordination program buys minor home repairs or modifications from local vendors, case by case, for people 60+ in El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio and Brewster counties. Call (915) 533-0998 to confirm whether a stair lift is covered.
An information and referral desk that helps seniors and people with disabilities find housing, benefits and home modification resources; it does not fund or install lifts itself. Call (915) 298-7307.
A nonprofit that provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications at no cost to low-income El Paso homeowners, including seniors and veterans; stair lifts are not mentioned in its materials. Call (915) 832-7010.
Volunteers build wheelchair ramps for free, and El Paso is among the regions served; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (214) 558-0339 if a ramp could replace entry steps.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for owners 62+ in eligible rural areas, generally the small towns and unincorporated parts of the county rather than the City of El Paso. Stair lifts are not named in the program materials.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for permanent home changes for qualifying veterans, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call the El Paso VA at (915) 564-6100 about covered items like permanent ramps.
For veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, SAH grants reach up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 in FY2026; stair lifts are not named in the program materials. Call (915) 564-6100.
Older adults
1100 N. Stanton St., Suite 610, El Paso, 79902
Veterans
4641 Cohen Ave, Suite D, El Paso, 79924
Yes, in most cases. Stairs that turn need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, which we measure for on site. A straight flight with no turns can use a simpler straight rail.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way. Call the El Paso VA at (915) 564-6100 or the El Paso County Veterans Assistance Office at (915) 273-3454 to discuss your situation.
The Area Agency on Aging of the Rio Grande serves people 60 and older, at (915) 533-0998. The STAR+PLUS benefit also covers adults 21 and older with disabilities who meet its Medicaid and care-level rules.
STAR+PLUS members can get up to $7,500 in lifetime minor home modifications if the change is medically necessary and approved by their MCO service coordinator. Stair lifts are not named, so approval is decided case by case.
USDA Section 504 loans and grants serve eligible rural areas, generally places under 35,000 people, so small towns in the county may qualify. Stair lifts are not named in that program, but it is worth asking about.
Yes, if it is an outdoor-rated model with covers for the seat and controls. Winds here can exceed 30 mph in the dry season, so regular cleaning and service of the rail help it last.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
