Hoonah, Gustavus and Angoon sit on steep, forested island ground where every trip in or out is by boat or floatplane. A stair lift here is a different job than in a town on the highway, and planning starts with how the equipment and the installer will reach your door.
Most homes in the area are single-family houses, with some low-rise buildings and walk-up apartments. This page covers how local homes and weather shape the choice between a straight, curved, outdoor or platform lift, and which programs may help with the cost.
Much of Hoonah was destroyed in a 1944 fire, so most of the houses standing today were built during or after the rebuild. Those homes were not designed with accessibility in mind, and stairwells and entries can be narrow or uneven.
Angoon had 192 housing units in the 2020 census, with roughly a third vacant or seasonal. Housing there grew out of the community's Tlingit village heritage and modest, subsistence-oriented building rather than modern accessibility standards.
In practice, that means an older stairwell or entry may need custom bracketry to mount a rail. A straight stair with solid treads is usually the simplest fit. Stairs with a turn or landing call for a curved lift, and walk-up apartments need a look at the shared stairwell before anything is ordered.
Hoonah averages roughly 90 inches of snow a year, and many homes sit on sloped ground with steps up to the entry. For some households the hardest climb is outside, not inside.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can cover porch or entry steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better answer. We will talk through which steps cause the most trouble before suggesting a model.
No road or ferry-linked highway connects the communities here to the rest of Alaska's road system. Hoonah has over 300 miles of local road, mostly unpaved logging roads, but none of it reaches another town.
Because everything moves by water or air, shipping a lift and getting a certified installer to the home costs more and takes longer. Accurate stair measurements up front help avoid a second trip for the wrong part.
Local contractor help for specialty accessibility work is thin, and Hoonah's busy season around the cruise ships at Icy Strait Point runs May through September. Planning ahead gives everyone more room to schedule.
The census area has 1,971 residents, and 24.4% are 65 or older. With population declining in both Hoonah and Angoon, many older residents have fewer family members close by to help on the stairs.
About 68.8% of households own their home, which matters because several funding programs require the applicant to own and live in the house.
No single program here promises to pay for a stair lift outright. The clearest lead is the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, whose elder services explicitly include home modification.
Other programs fund home accessibility work in general without naming stair lifts, so ask directly whether a lift qualifies. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
For general guidance, the Alaska Commission on Aging / Senior & Disabilities Services can be reached at (907) 465-3250, and the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs at (907) 334-0874. Other statewide options to ask about include HomeMAP – Home Modifications for Aging in Place, Alaska Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) and the Alaska Senior Benefits Program.
A home modification benefit for people enrolled in an Alaska HCBS waiver such as Alaskans Living Independently (ALI), requested through a care coordinator; the source does not list stair lifts by name. Call Senior and Disabilities Services at (907) 269-3666 to confirm current terms.
A regional senior-center network for Alaskans 60 and over, offering meals, transportation and care coordination rather than cash grants; stair lifts are not listed. Call (907) 463-6177.
The local senior center and referral office for Hoonah seniors, providing in-kind services; home modification and stair lifts are not listed. Call (907) 945-3350.
The tribal government's elder services explicitly include home modification, which can cover a stair lift. Call (907) 463-7163 to confirm eligibility for your village and what the program pays for.
State funds for Alaskans over 55 to make accessibility modifications to their homes, delivered through local non-profit partners; stair lifts are not itemized. Call AHFC at (907) 338-6100 to find the partner that serves your community.
A lifetime VA grant for medically necessary permanent alterations, up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded stair glides.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA describes ramps and doorway widening but does not mention stair lifts.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income rural homeowners who live in the home; the source does not name accessibility work or stair lifts. Call the Alaska office at (907) 761-7705 to check your address and current terms.
A nonprofit serving seniors and people with disabilities across Southeast Alaska, with an Aging & Disability Resource Center and an Equipment Loan & Demonstration program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 478-7245.
Older adults
550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1600, Anchorage, 99501
Veterans
4600 DeBarr Road, Suite 180, Anchorage, 99508
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for certain severe service-connected disabilities but do not mention stair lifts, so ask the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs at (907) 334-0874.
Yes. The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska lists home modification among its elder services. Call (907) 463-7163 to confirm coverage for Hoonah or Angoon.
No road connects these communities to the rest of Alaska, so the lift and the installer arrive by boat or floatplane. That adds cost and lead time, and good measurements before ordering help avoid repeat trips.
An outdoor stair lift is designed for exterior steps and weather. With Hoonah averaging roughly 90 inches of snow a year, we look at the entry steps, the slope and drainage before recommending one.
The AHFC Senior Access Program is open to Alaskans over 55 for accessibility modifications. The ALI waiver also covers adults 21 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability.
Most homes in Hoonah date from after that rebuild and were not built to accessibility standards. The stairwell may need custom bracketry, which we check during the measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
