Arlington County covers about 25.8 square miles on the south bank of the Potomac, directly across from Washington, D.C. It is the smallest self-governing county in the United States by land area, and every bit of it is built out. Some homes sit in high-rise corridors along the Metro lines. Others sit in older neighborhoods like Clarendon and Lyon Village/Lyon Park, where staircases were built narrow.
That mix matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. In an older detached home or row house, a stair lift is often the practical fix. In a condo building with elevators, it usually is not the question at all. This page walks through which situation you are in and which Virginia programs can help cover the cost.
Much of Arlington's remaining single-family housing dates to the early streetcar-suburb era. Clarendon was established by 1900, and Lyon Village/Lyon Park were developed by Frank Lyon. Many seniors here live in multi-story rowhouse-style or center-hall homes from the early to mid 20th century.
Those staircases tend to be narrow, and some curve. A straight staircase with no landings can usually take a straight rail, which is the simpler install. A staircase that turns or has a landing needs a curved rail built to fit that specific stair, so we measure in person before giving any recommendation.
Townhouses and row houses often have more than one flight. If the bedroom and bathroom are on different floors from the kitchen, plan for every flight your family member uses each day, not just the main one.
A large and growing share of Arlington seniors live in mid- or high-rise buildings in the Rosslyn-Ballston and Route 1/Crystal City corridors. In those buildings, elevator access is what matters, and a home stair lift is usually not needed.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are different, since stairs may be the only way in. Only 41.8% of Arlington households own their homes, so many people asking about lifts are renters. Talk with the owner or building management before planning any installation, and look at the Rental Unit Accessibility Modification track described below.
Arlington has 235,463 residents, and 11.6% are 65 or older. Local reporting has described the senior population as growing faster than the county overall, which means more families are weighing whether a parent can stay in a multi-story home.
That makes it worth knowing which VA grants apply to stair lifts and which do not, since the answer is not what many people expect.
Arlington's high cost of living makes a private-pay stair lift a real expense for seniors on fixed incomes. The programs that explicitly name stair lifts or chairlifts are the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants, the Endependence Center of Northern Virginia as a local agent for those grants, Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority.
The Virginia Housing grants go up to $10,000 with no repayment. Homeowners at or below 60% of area median income can use the Owner-Occupied Modification track, and disabled veterans or service members with line-of-duty injuries at or below 80% AMI can use Granting Freedom. Applications go through an approved local agent, and ECNV in Arlington is one.
If a grant does not cover everything, ATLFA offers low-interest loans and lists stair lifts among the items it finances. A good first call for general guidance is the Arlington Agency on Aging at (703) 228-1700, which can refer you onward.
A Virginia Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or under 65 and disabled, who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit up to $2,982/month for a single applicant. It includes Environmental Modifications as a service, but the source does not list stair lifts; call (844) 374-9159.
The local intake, counseling and referral point for Arlington residents 60 and older, including Medicaid waiver screening; it does not provide cash grants, and stair lifts are not listed among its services. Call (703) 228-1700.
State grants of up to $10,000 with no repayment, and the program explicitly lists installing chairlifts as an eligible modification. Tracks cover homeowners and renters at or below 60% AMI and disabled veterans at or below 80% AMI; call (877) 843-2123.
An Arlington-based Center for Independent Living at 1550 Crystal Drive that acts as a local approved agent for the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants, which it says typically cover chairlifts. Call (703) 525-3268.
A nonprofit that performs accessibility modifications, including stairlift installation, at no cost to qualifying low-income homeowners, with priority to older adults, people with disabilities and veterans. Call (703) 528-1999.
Low-interest loans for Virginia residents with a disability or their caregivers, and stair lifts are explicitly listed among items financed. Approval depends on credit; call (866) 835-5976.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners in USDA-defined rural areas; stair lifts are not listed. Arlington is fully urbanized and very unlikely to qualify, so check the USDA eligibility map first.
A VA grant for permanent alterations like ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded as removable equipment; call (800) 799-4889.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not listed, so confirm with a VA housing grant specialist before counting on this.
Older adults
2100 Washington Boulevard, 4th Floor, Arlington, 22204
Veterans
6564 Loisdale Ct, Suite 301, Springfield, 22150
Often, yes. Many homes in these early 20th-century neighborhoods have narrow and sometimes curved staircases, which call for a curved rail made to fit. An in-home measurement is the only way to know for sure.
The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants include a Rental Unit Accessibility Modification (RUAM) track for renters at or below 60% of area median income, with grants up to $10,000. ECNV at (703) 525-3268 is a local agent that can help you apply.
The HISA grant does not, because it excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts, so ask a VA housing grant specialist. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services Springfield Office is at (703) 417-9090, and the Granting Freedom track of the state accessibility grants serves veterans with line-of-duty injuries.
Yes. CCC Plus covers people under 65 who are disabled and meet a nursing-facility level of care. ATLFA lends to any Virginia resident with a disability, or a caregiver of a person of any age with a disability.
No cash grant or stair lift benefit is confirmed there. It serves residents 60 and older as an intake and referral point, including Medicaid waiver screening. Call (703) 228-1700 to be pointed to the right program.
Thresholds published in 2021 were $55,750 for a single person and $63,700 for a couple. Priority goes to older adults, people with disabilities, families with children and veterans. Call (703) 528-1999 for current limits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
