Chicago alone has more than 80,000 Chicago bungalows, most built between 1910 and 1940. They are brick, one-and-a-half stories, and sit over a full basement with a veranda entrance, which means steps outside the front door, stairs down to the basement and often a half story upstairs. Add the two- and three-flat walk-ups across the city, and a lot of Cook County homes have stairs built into daily life.
Beyond the city, the county's 119 towns run from Evanston and Skokie to Schaumburg, Orland Park, Tinley Park and Calumet City. Housing here includes single-family homes, townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. This page walks through which kind of lift tends to fit each, and where to look for help paying for one.
A typical Chicago bungalow is about 20 feet wide on a 24 to 25 foot lot, so interior stairs are usually narrow and run in a straight line. A straight rail stair lift is often the simplest fit for the basement stairs or the climb to the half story above.
The raised main floor is the other issue. If getting in the front door is the hard part, an outdoor stair lift on the entry steps or a platform lift can handle it. We measure both the inside and outside stairs before suggesting anything, since many bungalow owners need help at more than one spot.
Two- and three-flat walk-up buildings put living space on multiple above-grade stories. If the stairway turns at a landing, a curved rail is built to follow it; if it runs straight, a standard rail usually works.
Townhouses and row houses in Cook County often have stairs between every level. In some cases two separate lifts make more sense than one long run, and we will talk through that on the visit.
If you rent, ask your landlord early. The Illinois Home Modification Program serves renters as well as owners, but it requires landlord approval.
About 15.5% of Cook County residents are 65 or older, and 57.8% of households own their homes. Many of those owners have lived for decades in the bungalow belt or in older, built-out suburbs like Oak Park, Berwyn, Park Ridge and Des Plaines.
Newer suburbs have more single-level ranch homes, which may need nothing more than help at the entry. Older homes with full basements and second stories are where a stair lift most often comes up.
The Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs (CCVA), at 161 N. Clark St., 2400A in Chicago, can be reached at (312) 603-1492 to talk through VA housing benefits.
The clearest state option is the Illinois DHS Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program, whose official page names stair lifts among covered adaptations. It is for Illinois residents with a documented disability, and it works through Centers for Independent Living and Medicaid waivers.
Where you start depends on where you live. In Chicago, intake for the Illinois Home Modification Program runs through Access Living. In suburban Cook County, it runs through Progress Center for Independent Living, and older adults can also call AgeOptions at (708) 383-0258, located at 1048 Lake Street, Suite 300, Oak Park.
For veterans, the VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, so ask about the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants instead. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. Each program is summarized below.
A statewide program for Illinois residents with a documented disability that explicitly lists stair lifts among covered home adaptations. Call (800) 843-6154 or start with your local Center for Independent Living.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement; it covers home modifications in general terms, but its page does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 581-3690.
Helps income-qualified Illinois households with a member who has a documented disability, including renters with landlord approval; its page lists ramps and interior modifications but does not name stair lifts, and it has over 800 people on a waiting list. Call (217) 525-1308.
The Center for Independent Living serving suburban Cook County and the first call for home modification program intake outside Chicago; stair lifts are not mentioned on its page. Call (708) 209-1500.
In-home services for Medicaid-eligible Illinois residents 60 and older with non-exempt assets under $17,500; home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned on its page. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.
An information, referral and care-coordination hub for older adults, families and caregivers in suburban Cook County, not a direct equipment fund; stair lifts are not mentioned on its page. Call (708) 383-0258.
A VA benefit with lifetime maximums of $6,800 or $2,000 for home accessibility work, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts. The Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs can be reached at (312) 603-1492.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities to modify a permanent home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; the source covers home modifications such as ramps but does not name stair lifts. Ask the Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs at (312) 603-1492 about applying.
Older adults
1048 Lake Street, Suite 300, Oak Park, 60301
Veterans
161 N. Clark St., 2400A, Chicago, 60601
Often, yes. Bungalows average about 20 feet wide, so interior stairs tend to be tight and straight, which suits a straight rail lift. We measure the stair width and the landings at the top and bottom before recommending a model.
Yes. The Illinois HCBS Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for residents under age 60 at application who meet its disability and Medicaid rules, at (877) 581-3690. The Illinois DHS Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program, which names stair lifts, has no age limit stated, at (800) 843-6154.
The Illinois Home Modification Program serves renters as long as the landlord approves and the household meets its disability and income rules. Funding is limited and there is a waiting list of over 800 people, so apply early.
In Chicago, Access Living handles intake for the Illinois Home Modification Program, and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Area Agency on Aging handles Community Care Program enrollment. In suburban Cook County, call Progress Center for Independent Living at (708) 209-1500 or AgeOptions at (708) 383-0258.
The HISA benefit does not, since it excludes stair glides. The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants cover modifying a permanent home but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs at (312) 603-1492 whether your situation qualifies.
Many Cook County bungalows have a raised main floor with steps to the veranda entrance. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those steps, and we look at them on the same visit as the inside stairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
