Riverside County runs from the master-planned neighborhoods of Corona, Eastvale and Menifee out to the desert resort cities of Palm Springs, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage, and all the way east to Blythe. Across 71 towns and 7,303 square miles, the homes range from two-story tract houses to split-levels on foothill lots in places like Canyon Lake and Idyllwild.
That spread matters when you are planning a stair lift. A straight staircase in a Moreno Valley single-family home is a different job than a multi-level hillside house or a walk-up apartment in an older part of Riverside. Below we walk through what local homes usually need and which programs in the county can help cover the cost.
Between 2007 and 2011, large numbers of Los Angeles-area workers moved to Riverside County for more affordable housing. Much of that growth landed in master-planned communities such as Corona, Eastvale, Moreno Valley and Menifee, and as of the 2020 census 94.5% of county residents lived in urban areas.
Many of those houses put the bedrooms upstairs, so the stairs become the main obstacle to staying home. A single straight flight is usually the simplest fit: a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and leaves room for others to use the stairs.
About 68.4% of households in the county own their homes. Owning makes a permanent install easier to approve, and several of the funding programs below are limited to owner-occupied homes.
The county climbs from about 234 feet below sea level in the Salton Sea basin to 10,834 feet in the San Jacinto and San Bernardino ranges. Homes in foothill and mountain communities like Idyllwild and Canyon Lake are more likely to be split-level or built into a slope, with stairs that turn or break at landings.
Stairs with a turn or a landing call for a curved stair lift, built to follow that specific staircase. Where the trouble is the steps from the driveway or yard up to the front door, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better answer. We measure on site before recommending one over the other.
The Coachella Valley is a well-known warm-winter retirement destination, with resort cities including Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. Further west, large age-restricted communities around Sun City and Menifee add to a sizable senior homeowner base. Countywide, 15.0% of residents are 65 or older.
Housing here includes townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings alongside single-family homes. In a townhouse or condominium, check with your association before installation. If you rent a walk-up unit, the property owner will need to approve the lift.
Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability may be eligible for VA housing grants, listed below, and the VA statewide also offers HISA and prosthetics benefits.
The Riverside County Veterans Services Office at 4360 Orange Street in Riverside can help with paperwork and eligibility questions. Call (951) 955-3060.
Two Medi-Cal routes name stair lifts as covered home modifications: the HCBA Waiver and the CalAIM Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit through IEHP. The CalAIM benefit has a lifetime maximum of $7,500 per member, and it requires an order from your physician or other health professional.
The county's Senior Home Rehabilitation Grant goes up to $25,000 for qualifying homeowners and includes accessibility repairs, though the source does not mention stair lifts by name. Other statewide options to ask about include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan.
If you are not sure where to start, the Riverside County Office on Aging at 6296 Rivercrest Drive, Suite K, Riverside, can point you to the right program. Their office number is (951) 867-3800.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver for people who need a nursing-facility level of care, covering home modifications, including stair lifts, as Environmental Accessibility Adaptations with no fixed dollar cap listed. The 2026 income limit is about $1,836 a month for a single person, and there has been a statewide waiting list since July 2023.
IEHP members at risk of hospitalization or nursing-facility placement can get home adaptations, including stair lifts, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum with a physician's order. Call IEHP at (800) 440-4347.
A grant of up to $25,000 for owner-occupants age 62+ or disabled homeowners of any age at or below 50% of Area Median Income, covering health, safety and accessibility repairs; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Funding is first-come, first-served; call (909) 988-5979.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source does not say whether stair lifts are covered. Call the VA at (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit serving residents with disabilities countywide from offices in Riverside and Palm Desert, offering assistive technology, peer support and a no-cost modular ramp program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (951) 274-0358.
Not a funding source, but it connects adults 60+ and adults with disabilities to services, including HICAP Medicare counseling and home-modification referrals. Call (877) 932-4100.
Critical repair and accessibility work such as ramps and grab bars for low-income homeowners in Corona, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Norco, Riverside and Woodcrest, decided case by case; stair lifts are not listed. Call (951) 787-6754.
Older adults
6296 Rivercrest Drive, Suite K, Riverside, 92507
Veterans
4360 Orange Street, Riverside, 92501
It can. The HCBA Waiver and the CalAIM Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit through IEHP both cover stair lifts as home modifications. The IEHP benefit has a $7,500 lifetime maximum and needs an order from your doctor or other health professional; call IEHP at (800) 440-4347.
Yes. The HCBA Waiver has had a statewide waiting list since July 2023, so the IEHP route or a county program may move faster for some families.
Yes, if the homeowner is disabled. The County of Riverside Senior Home Rehabilitation Grant is open to homeowners 62+ or disabled homeowners of any age with income at or below 50% of Area Median Income. Call (909) 988-5979 to ask about funding.
Its listed service area is Corona, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Norco, Riverside and Woodcrest. Desert residents can call the Community Access Center, which has a Palm Desert office, at (951) 274-0358, or the Office on Aging at (877) 932-4100.
Usually, yes. Split-level and hillside homes often have stairs with turns or landings, which call for a curved lift built to that staircase. Outside steps may suit an outdoor or platform lift instead.
The Riverside County Veterans Services Office at 4360 Orange Street in Riverside helps with VA claims. Call (951) 955-3060, or reach the VA directly at (800) 827-1000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
