Potter County covers 922 square miles of high, flat Llano Estacado tableland, with Amarillo as its county seat and Bushland and Bishop Hills nearby. Most people here live in town, and the homes range from early-20th-century houses near Polk Street to the single-story ranch houses that spread out across the Panhandle in the decades after.
That mix matters when a parent starts having trouble with steps. An older two-story house near downtown Amarillo calls for a different lift than a ranch home with a raised front entry or a basement. This page walks through what fits which kind of house and which programs can help pay for it.
Amarillo has a group of National-Register-listed historic homes and buildings concentrated along and near Polk Street, built during the city's growth from roughly 1900 through the start of World War II. Many of these houses have full second floors, and that is where a stair lift does the most good for someone who wants to stay put.
A straight staircase is the simplest case, since a straight rail mounts to the stair treads and runs top to bottom. Older homes sometimes have landings or turns, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure on site before recommending either one.
A large share of Potter County housing is single-story, ranch-style suburban building from the mid-20th century onward. One level cuts down on stair problems, but it does not erase them. Split-entry layouts, basements and raised entries all still put steps between a person and part of the house.
For a short run of interior steps in a split-entry, a straight lift is often enough. Steps outside a raised entry may call for an outdoor lift built for weather, which matters in a county with hot summers and cold winters. When someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk through.
Potter County has a population of 204,106, and 14.7% of residents are 65 or older. About 60.2% of residents are homeowners, which matters because most repair and modification programs require you to own and live in the home.
If your parent served, the Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at 6010 Amarillo Blvd. West, Room 1204A, can be reached at (806) 468-1885 to talk through VA housing benefits.
Two programs in the list below are documented as able to cover a stair lift: the Texas STAR+PLUS waiver's minor home modifications and the USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. STAR+PLUS uses a statewide interest list, so getting on it early matters. Section 504 depends on the address being in a USDA-eligible rural area, which much of Amarillo itself is unlikely to meet, though smaller-town and unincorporated parts of the county may.
For a first call, the Panhandle AAA at 415 SW 8th Ave. in Amarillo, (806) 372-3381, or the ADRC of the Texas Panhandle at (855) 937-2372 can point you toward the right program. Other statewide programs to ask about by name include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 65 and older or adults with disabilities who could otherwise need nursing-facility care; minor home modifications are covered and a stair lift can qualify when it helps the member stay at home. Enrollment runs through a statewide interest list, a home-equity limit of $752,000 applies, and you can confirm current terms with Texas HHS at (877) 438-5658.
Grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older and loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, with up to $50,000 combined, and stair lifts are listed among the improvements it can fund. The home must be in a USDA-eligible rural area, so call the Texas Rural Development state office at (254) 742-9700 to check your address.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. The VA source names ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not list stair lifts, so ask the Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at (806) 468-1885 how it applies to your home.
The regional Area Agency on Aging serving older adults in Potter County and Amarillo; its page does not list stair lift or home-modification funding. Call (806) 372-3381 to ask about in-home services, minor home repair, or a referral to STAR+PLUS.
An information-and-referral hub for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers across a 26-county region, available regardless of funding source or income; it does not fund stair lifts directly and its page does not mention them. Call (855) 937-2372 for referrals to STAR+PLUS, USDA 504, VA benefits or local repair programs.
A one-time repair program of up to $8,000 for low-income Amarillo homeowners facing critical repairs such as heating, air conditioning, electrical and plumbing problems, with project order set by lottery. The source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes.
One of Texas's 27 Centers for Independent Living, based at 417 SW 10th Ave in Amarillo and serving people with disabilities; its page does not mention stair lifts or home-modification help. Call (800) 585-6768 to ask what assistance or referrals are available now.
Older adults
415 SW 8th Ave., Amarillo, 79101
Veterans
6010 Amarillo Blvd. West, Room 1204A, Amarillo, 79106
Sometimes. Single-story ranch homes cut down on stair problems, but split-entry layouts, basements and raised entries still have steps. A short straight lift or an outdoor lift can handle those spots.
Probably not inside most of the city, since the property must be in a USDA-eligible rural area. Unincorporated and smaller-town parts of Potter County may qualify, and the Texas Rural Development state office at (254) 742-9700 can check a specific address.
The Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older, but the loan does not carry that age rule in the program terms listed here. STAR+PLUS also serves adults with disabilities, not only those 65 and older.
The VA's SAH, SHA and TRA grants cover home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the VA page does not name stair lifts. Call the Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at (806) 468-1885 to ask about your situation.
Yes, outdoor lifts are made for exterior steps such as a raised entry. Potter County's hot summers and cold winters are the reason an exterior lift needs to be built for outdoor use.
The Panhandle AAA at (806) 372-3381 or the ADRC of the Texas Panhandle at (855) 937-2372. Both can refer you to STAR+PLUS and other programs listed on this page.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
