Habersham County climbs from valley towns like Cornelia and Baldwin up toward Tray Mountain, where the land rises to about 4,400 feet and the Appalachian Trail follows the high ridgeline. Houses here are often set into slopes, with split-level layouts, raised entries and long runs of steps from the driveway to the front door.
That terrain is the first thing we look at when someone in Clarkesville, Demorest, Mount Airy, Raoul or Tallulah Falls asks about a stair lift. The right lift depends on how your stairs are laid out inside and out, and this page walks through those choices and the programs that may help with the cost.
As of the 2020 Census, 59.3% of county residents lived in rural areas. Much of that housing sits on sloped, wooded lots rather than flat suburban streets, so a single home can have stairs in several places.
A split-level house may have a short flight between living areas and a longer one down to a lower level. A raised entry can mean steps outside before you even reach the door. Each of those runs gets measured on its own, since one may suit a straight lift while another needs something different.
A straight stair lift fits a single flight with no turns or landings. It is usually the simplest install and works on many interior stairways in single-family homes and townhouses.
Stairs that turn, wrap around a landing or split partway up need a curved lift built on a rail made for that staircase. Hillside houses with an interior landing often fall into this group.
Entry steps from a long driveway or a raised porch call for an outdoor lift made to handle weather. For manufactured homes, where the entry may be a set of exterior steps, we look at the outside stairs first, and a platform lift can be an option when someone needs to stay in a wheelchair.
Habersham County has 16,662 residents, and 15.3% are 65 or older. About 63.8% of households own their home, which matters because owners can make permanent changes like a mounted stair lift rail.
The county mixes long-time farm families from its apple and poultry history with retirees drawn to Lake Russell, Panther Creek Park and Clarkesville's long tradition as a summer retreat. Many of these homeowners are budgeting on fixed or seasonal incomes, so it helps to check funding before choosing a lift.
Start with Legacy Link, the Area Agency on Aging for the Georgia Mountains region, at (866) 552-4464. It screens older adults and adults with disabilities and refers them into programs such as CCSP and SOURCE.
Of the programs below, the Independent Care Waiver Program is the one whose source lists home modifications as a service. The others are worth asking about, but their sources do not mention stair lifts, so confirm directly before counting on them.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service has a Demorest Veterans Field Service Office at 185 Scoggins Dr, Suite B, reachable at (706) 894-1049, which can help with VA grant questions. Statewide, Georgia also lists the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) as options to explore.
The regional intake and referral hub for older adults and adults with disabilities in a 13-county area that includes Habersham County; it refers people into CCSP, SOURCE and other services, and stair lifts are not listed among its services. Call (866) 552-4464.
A Medicaid waiver for people who apply between ages 21-64 and have severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury at a nursing facility or hospital level of care; home modifications are among its listed services. Call (888) 669-7195.
A Medicaid alternative to nursing home care for frail elderly and disabled Georgians, handled locally through Legacy Link; its source does not list stair lifts or home modifications, and some members pay part of the cost. Call (866) 552-4464.
Combines primary care and case management with long-term home services for frail elderly and physically disabled Georgians on full Medicaid; stair lifts are not listed. Call (866) 552-4464.
Supports for Georgians with intellectual or developmental disabilities through DBHDD; the source mentions specialized medical equipment but does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (404) 657-5468.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities who own or will own their home; the VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not individually named among covered adaptations.
Older adults
4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, 30566
Veterans
185 Scoggins Dr, Suite B, Demorest, 30535
Often, yes. Hillside homes in the county commonly have entry stairs from the driveway plus interior stairs in a split-level layout, and each run is measured separately to see whether it needs a straight, curved or outdoor lift.
The Independent Care Waiver Program serves Medicaid members who apply between ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and it lists home modifications among its services. Call (888) 669-7195.
Legacy Link at (866) 552-4464 serves Habersham County as part of its 13-county region and can screen and refer you into programs like CCSP and SOURCE. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA office in Oakwood can also be reached at (770) 538-2650.
The source for CCSP lists services like personal care, home-delivered meals and respite care but does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Ask Legacy Link directly before planning around it.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service – Demorest Veterans Field Service Office at 185 Scoggins Dr, Suite B, Demorest, can help. Call (706) 894-1049 to ask about the SAH and SHA grants.
Manufactured homes are common in the county, and the main obstacle is usually the exterior entry steps. An outdoor lift or a platform lift for wheelchair users is what we typically evaluate for those entries.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
