In Hammond, Gary and East Chicago, many houses went up during the steel boom for mill and refinery workers. Those older bungalows and single-family homes often have a full staircase to the bedrooms upstairs and another one down to the basement. When climbing gets hard, that layout is usually the first thing a family has to solve.
Further south and east, in towns like Crown Point, Dyer and St. John, the housing is newer and more of it is single-story. Lake County has 24 towns in all, and the stair problems in a Whiting walk-up differ from those in a Lowell split-level. This page walks through what fits which kind of home and where Lake County residents can look for help paying for it.
The housing in Lake County's older industrial cities was built decades before universal design or ranch layouts were common. Many 2-3 bedroom homes in Hammond and Gary have one straight run of stairs to a second floor and another to the basement. A straight stair run is usually the simplest and least complicated lift to install.
If the only bathroom or bedroom is upstairs, a lift on that main staircase often does the most good. A basement lift matters more when laundry or the furnace is down there. We measure both before recommending anything, because older staircases are not always the same width top to bottom.
Split-level homes and townhouses show up across the county. Split-levels have short flights between levels, and some homes have landings or turns. Stairs that change direction usually need a curved lift built to the shape of that staircase, which takes more measuring than a straight rail.
Walk-up apartments are a different case. Shared stairways in a building generally involve the owner or landlord, so check with them before planning anything.
The northern part of Lake County along Lake Michigan is low and flat, historically marshland. The central part rises along the Valparaiso Moraine to a high point of about 801 feet, and the southern edge turns more rural and suburban. That spread means some homes sit at grade while others have steps up to the door.
When the hard part is getting from the driveway or yard into the house, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may fit better than an indoor chair. We look at the entry steps along with the inside stairs so you are not solving only half the problem.
Lake County has 472,619 residents, and 17.4% are 65 or older. About 70.1% of households own their home, which matters because most repair grants and loans require you to own and live in the house.
Only two programs on this page name stair lifts directly: the Indiana Medicaid home modification benefit under the PathWays for Aging and Health and Wellness waivers, and Stair Lift for Vets. The others cover home repair or accessibility in general, and their sources do not mention stair lifts, so call and ask before you count on them.
A good first call is CoAction at (219) 794-1829, at 5240 Fountain Drive in Crown Point. It is the Area Agency on Aging for Lake County and the place to be screened for the Medicaid waivers. Statewide, Indiana also lists the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP), which you can ask about on the same call.
Veterans can make an appointment with the Lake County Veterans Service Office at (219) 755-3285. It is in Building A, Room 100, at 2293 N. Main Street in Crown Point.
Medicaid waivers for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid income and asset limits; age 60+ goes to PathWays for Aging, age 59 and under to Health and Wellness. Home modifications including stair lifts are listed as covered; apply through CoAction or call Indiana Medicaid at (800) 403-0864.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Lake, Jasper, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties, which lists home modifications among its services. Stair lifts are not itemized, so call (219) 794-1829 to ask what is available.
Housing rehabilitation and emergency repair grants for qualifying low-to-moderate income Lake County homeowners, covering items such as roofs, HVAC and select accessibility work. Stair lifts are not named as eligible, so call the county at (219) 755-3225 to confirm scope and income limits.
An all-volunteer nonprofit that makes free repairs and modifications, such as ramps and concrete step replacement, for low-income homeowners in Lowell, Merrillville, Cedar Lake and Crown Point. Its materials do not mention stair lifts; call (219) 736-1880 about the annual application.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in USDA-eligible rural areas, for repairs and safety hazards like unsafe or steep steps. Stair lifts are not specifically named, and eligibility depends on your exact address.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for permanent alterations like ramps and roll-in showers. It does not fund stair lifts, which the VA excludes as removable equipment; the Lake County Veterans Service Office at (219) 755-3285 can help with an application for other changes.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 to build, buy or remodel a home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call the VA at (800) 827-1000.
A county office in Crown Point, by appointment only, that helps veterans and families find and apply for VA benefits, including home modification grants. It does not give grants itself; call (219) 755-3285.
A national nonprofit, active in Indiana, that provides donated or partly funded stair lifts and installation to veterans with financial need who have trouble with stairs. Family members can apply on a veteran's behalf by calling (888) 683-8543.
Older adults
5240 Fountain Drive, Crown Point, 46307
Veterans
2293 N. Main Street, Building A, Room 100, Crown Point, 46307
It can. The Indiana Medicaid home modification benefit lists stair lifts, but you must meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid income and asset limits. Start with CoAction at (219) 794-1829 or Indiana Medicaid at (800) 403-0864.
Yes. People age 59 and under go through the Health and Wellness Waiver rather than PathWays for Aging, with the same level-of-care and financial rules.
No. The VA excludes stair glides from HISA. Veterans can look at Stair Lift for Vets at (888) 683-8543 and ask the Lake County Veterans Service Office at (219) 755-3285 about other VA benefits.
Not always. Many mill-era homes have both, and we usually start with whichever staircase leads to the bathroom and bedroom. A basement lift comes next if daily tasks like laundry happen down there.
Rebuilding Together South Lake County serves low-income homeowners in Lowell, Merrillville, Cedar Lake and Crown Point. Its listed work includes ramps and step repairs, not stair lifts, so call (219) 736-1880 to ask.
No. Section 504 only covers USDA-eligible rural areas, and Lake County mixes dense cities with rural unincorporated land, so eligibility depends on your specific address.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
