Susanville sits at 4,186 feet at the head of Honey Lake Valley, with the Sierra Nevada rising to the west. From there the county spreads out over 4,720 square miles to places like Janesville, Johnstonville, Westwood, Doyle, Herlong and Bieber. Many homes here are two-story houses or sit on sloping lots, so getting from the front door to the bedroom can mean more than one set of steps.
This page walks through what Lassen County homes usually need in a stair lift, how winter weather changes the picture outside, and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the grown children helping them stay at home.
The housing here is small-town and rural: single-family homes, manufactured homes, low-rise buildings and walk-up apartments. Susanville alone had 4,277 housing units in the 2020 census. Each of these home types calls for a different kind of lift.
A two-story house with one straight run of stairs is the simplest case, and a straight rail lift usually fits it. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to that staircase. Walk-up apartments add a step to the process, since the building owner has to agree to the installation.
Lassen County runs from high desert to mountain country, with its highest point at 8,741 feet. Many lots slope, and cold semi-arid winters leave exterior steps icy. For a lot of households, the steps up to the porch are as much of a problem as the stairs inside.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on porch and deck steps. Manufactured homes often have a short flight of exterior steps at the door, and for someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift can be a better fit than a seat. We look at both the inside and outside stairs during a home visit so you can see the whole route from car to bed.
About 15.3% of Lassen County residents are 65 or older, and 62.0% of households own their home. Owners can add a lift without asking a landlord, which makes aging in place more practical. In Susanville, 50.1% of housing units were owner-occupied in 2020, so renters there should plan to talk with the property owner first.
If someone in your family served, the Lassen County Veterans Service Office at 1205 Main Street, Suite 101 in Susanville can help sort out VA benefits. Their number is (530) 251-8192.
Many seniors here live on fixed incomes, so outside funding matters. None of the programs below names stair lifts outright in its published rules, which means you will need to ask each one directly. Some fund home repairs or modifications in general, and some only offer referrals or caregiver help.
Good first calls are the PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging at (530) 842-1687 for referrals, and the Lassen County Housing Rehabilitation Program at (530) 251-8308 for low-interest repair loans. Veterans should start with the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the county Veterans Service Office. Statewide options to ask about also include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver whose Environmental Accessibility Adaptations cover modifications such as ramps, grab bars and bathroom changes for wheelchair access; stair lifts are not listed in the source. It is for Medi-Cal members who need nursing facility level of care, and a physician order plus written homeowner consent are required.
Serves adults 60 and older in Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity Counties with information, referral, meals, transportation, legal and caregiver services. It does not directly fund stair lifts; call (530) 842-1687.
A nonprofit independent living center offering free advocacy, independent-living planning and an Assistive Technology program for people with disabilities. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed as a service; call (530) 242-8550.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The VA source names ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not list stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Deferred or low-interest loans at 0 to 3% for income-eligible homeowner-occupants to repair major housing systems and fix health and safety problems. Whether accessibility work like a stair lift qualifies is not stated, so call (530) 251-8308 to ask.
Run by Lassen County Adult Services, IHSS pays for in-home caregiver hours for elderly, blind or disabled Medi-Cal-eligible residents. It does not pay for equipment or stair lifts; call (530) 257-6670.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older, for repairs and removing health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not listed, but most of Lassen County is in an eligible rural area.
Pays for medically necessary home changes such as ramps and bathroom or doorway modifications, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected and $2,000 for non-service-connected needs. It does not cover stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
P.O. Box 1400, Yreka, 96097
Veterans
1205 Main Street, Suite 101, Susanville, 96130
Yes. Lassen County winters leave exterior steps icy, and outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and deck stairs. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may suit the entry better than a seat.
Manufactured homes are common here, and the usual need is getting up the exterior steps to the door. We measure those steps during a visit and suggest an outdoor seat lift or a platform lift based on what we find.
The Medi-Cal HCBA waiver covers home modifications like ramps, grab bars and bathroom changes, but stair lifts are not listed in the source. IHSS, another Medi-Cal-linked program, pays only for caregiver hours and does not buy equipment.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to owners 62 and older, plus 1% loans up to $40,000, for household income below 50% of area median. It funds repairs and safety fixes, and stair lifts are not named, so ask USDA Rural Development directly.
Start with the Lassen County Veterans Service Office at 1205 Main Street, Suite 101, phone (530) 251-8192. They can help you look at VA SAH and SHA grants. The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts.
The PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older in Lassen County. It does not fund stair lifts, but it offers information and referrals at (530) 842-1687.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
