Trinidad was founded in 1862, soon after coal was discovered in the region, and much of its housing went up during the coal-mining boom that followed. Many of those houses, along with homes in Aguilar, El Moro and the county's other former coal-camp communities, were built on more than one level. That leaves a lot of steep, narrow interior stairways in homes people have lived in for decades.
Las Animas County is Colorado's largest county by area at 4,775 square miles, and most of it is rural. Trinidad sits at 6,030 feet in the Purgatoire River valley, and outlying homes often come with long driveways and exterior steps. This page covers which kind of stair lift tends to fit these homes and which local and federal programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
Housing here ranges from single-family, ranch-style and split-level homes to walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In town and in the old coal camps, the older multi-level houses are the ones we see most often when a family calls about stairs.
A single straight run of stairs is the simplest case. A straight rail mounts to the treads, not the wall, so older plaster and brick walls usually are not a problem. If the stairway turns at a landing or curves, a curved rail is built to match that exact staircase, which takes more measuring and more lead time.
Split-level homes are their own puzzle. Each short flight may need a separate straight lift, and we look at which floors the person actually needs to reach before suggesting more than one.
Ranch-style homes often have no inside stairs at all, but the porch or entry steps can still be the hardest part of the day. An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts for that kind of run.
For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat-style stair lift, since the person stays in the chair. That distinction matters for funding too, as one program below lists platform lifts among its examples.
On rural properties with long or graded driveways, we check how the person gets from the car to the door, not just the door to the bedroom. Sometimes the exterior steps need attention before the inside stairs do.
About 22.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and 65.0% own their homes. Many of those owners plan to stay where they are, and the distances between rural homes and services in town make moving less appealing.
Around Fishers Peak and the Spanish Peaks, trips to a multi-story clinic or the town center can be hard for an older driver. When getting to the upstairs bedroom or bathroom safely is the main barrier, a stair lift can let someone keep living on both floors of a house they know.
VA programs have specific rules on stair lifts, covered in the next section.
Start with the South Central Council of Governments (SCCOG) at (719) 845-1133. SCCOG runs the Area Agency on Aging for Las Animas and Huerfano counties, administers the Health First Colorado home modification benefit locally, and handles a home repair loan program. None of these sources name stair lifts outright, so ask directly whether a stair lift or a platform lift would qualify in your case.
For homeowners with very low income, the USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans, and grants for owners age 62 or older. Las Animas County counts as rural for this program. Call (800) 414-1226 to ask about eligibility.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Las Animas Veteran Assistance office at the county courthouse, 200 E. First St, Room 101 in Trinidad, can be reached at (719) 845-2589 to talk through other VA options.
Statewide resources to ask about include the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption), which does not pay for a lift but can lower ongoing housing costs.
A Medicaid home modification benefit with a $14,000 lifetime maximum for members in Huerfano or Las Animas County whose changes are medically necessary. Its listed examples include ramps and platform lifts but do not mention stair lifts, so call SCCOG at (719) 845-1133 to ask.
The Area Agency on Aging for Las Animas and Huerfano County residents age 60 and over who register and complete an AAA Assessment; it is not a cash grant. It does not list stair lifts and refers people to SCCOG's home modification benefit; call (719) 845-1133.
Low-interest loans for owner-occupied homes in Huerfano or Las Animas County that need repairs to electrical, plumbing, heating, foundation or roofing. Stair lifts and accessibility changes are not mentioned; call (719) 845-1133.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older, in rural areas including Las Animas County. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (800) 414-1226.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans and service members. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides and porch lifts are listed as excluded.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel for accessibility. The VA's examples are ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not mentioned.
Older adults
13 West 3rd Street, Suite 110, La Junta, 81050
Veterans
Las Animas County Courthouse 200 E. First St, Room 101, Trinidad, 81082
Usually, yes. A stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, so older walls are rarely the issue. What matters more is whether the stairway is straight or turns, since a turning stairway needs a curved rail built to fit.
The Health First Colorado home modification benefit, run locally by SCCOG, has a $14,000 lifetime maximum, but its listed examples do not include stair lifts. Platform lifts are listed. Call SCCOG at (719) 845-1133 to ask about your situation.
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded from HISA. The Las Animas Veteran Assistance office in Trinidad at (719) 845-2589 can help a veteran look at other options.
USDA Section 504 grants require the homeowner to be 62 or older, but the 504 repair loans do not carry that age limit. The SCCOG Area Agency on Aging serves residents age 60 and over.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and for a wheelchair user a platform lift may fit better. We look at the whole route from the driveway to the door when we measure.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
