Androscoggin County was formed in 1854 around the mill cities of Lewiston and Auburn, and you can still see that history in the housing. The Lewiston-Auburn core is full of older, multi-story homes built in the 19th-century New England industrial style, many with steep, narrow staircases. Out in towns like Turner, Leeds, Wales and Livermore, the stairs are more likely to be in a farmhouse or a small-town-center home.
Those two kinds of houses ask different things of a stair lift. A tight mill-era staircase in Lewiston needs a different rail than the back steps of a farmhouse in Durham, especially once Maine winters coat outside steps with ice. This page walks through what we look for in local homes and the programs that can help cover the cost.
Many homes in the Lewiston-Auburn area went up when the mills were running, and their stairs were built narrow to save floor space. A straight stair lift can still work on a narrow flight, because the rail mounts to the treads and the seat folds up when nobody is riding. We measure the width carefully so the folded chair leaves room for others to walk past.
Older homes often have a turn, a landing or a winder step partway up. That usually means a curved rail made to fit the exact shape of your staircase. It takes longer to build than a straight rail, so it helps to plan before a fall or hospital stay makes the need urgent.
Walk-up apartments are common here too. About 35.9% of county housing units were renter-occupied as of 2020, so if you rent, talk with your landlord before any installation.
Split-level homes have short flights between floors, which can mean two short lifts or one curved rail that follows the turns. Townhouses tend to have a single straight flight, the simplest and quickest kind of install.
In the more rural towns, such as Minot, Greene, Sabattus and Livermore Falls, farmhouses often have steep back stairs and separate exterior steps. Maine's icy, snowy winters add fall risk on those outside steps. An outdoor stair lift built for the weather, or a platform lift where a wheelchair is involved, can make the trip from the driveway to the door safer.
About 18.3% of county residents are 65 or older, and about 68.3% are homeowners. For many families, that adds up to a parent who wants to stay in a house they own but is starting to struggle with the stairs.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA programs listed below are worth a call, and the Lewiston Field Office at 35 Westminster Street can be reached at (207) 753-9106.
Only one program below names stair lifts outright: the Alpha One Adaptive Equipment Loan Program, which offers loans from $250 to $100,000 at 3.75% interest for Maine residents with disabilities. The others fund home modifications or accessibility work in general, and the source pages do not say whether a stair lift qualifies, so ask each one directly.
A good first call is SeniorsPlus, the Area Agency on Aging for Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties, at 8 Falcon Road in Lewiston. They can point you toward the programs that fit your income and situation.
Homeowners with household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, who have lived in the home at least 1 year, can look at the MaineHousing Home Accessibility and Repair Program. Auburn homeowners can also ask the city about its CDBG housing rehabilitation funds.
A Medicaid waiver that funds in-home services, including Environmental Modifications, for people who meet MaineCare financial rules and a nursing-facility level of care. Stair lifts are not named on the program page; call (833) 525-5784.
The local Area Agency on Aging, based in Lewiston, helps eligible older adults and adults with disabilities access environmental modification, assistive technology and referrals to other funding. Stair lifts are not named; call (800) 427-1241.
Funds home repairs, including improvements needed for use by persons with disabilities, for owner-occupants of at least 1 year with income at or below 80% of Area Median Income. Stair lifts are not named; call (207) 816-3550.
Offers no-cost home safety checks and modifications like grab bars, handrails and lighting for homeowners age 55+ or with a disability at or below 100% of Area Median Income. Stair lifts are not named; call Community Concepts at (207) 795-4065.
Loans from $250 to $100,000 at 3.75% interest for Maine residents with disabilities, and stair lifts are listed as qualifying equipment. Call (800) 640-7200.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026), usable up to 6 times, for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. Stair lifts are not named among the example modifications.
A smaller companion grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not listed among covered modifications.
Provides device demonstrations, short-term loans, reuse, alternative financing and training rather than cash grants. Stair lifts are not among the listed example devices; call (207) 621-3195.
Auburn uses CDBG funds for housing rehabilitation, among other uses, with no published per-household cap. Stair lift eligibility is not stated; call Community Development at (207) 333-6601.
Older adults
8 Falcon Road, Lewiston, 04240
Veterans
35 Westminster Street, Lewiston, 04240
The Alpha One Adaptive Equipment Loan Program lists stair lifts by name. It is a loan, not a grant, from $250 to $100,000 at 3.75% interest, for Maine residents with disabilities. Call (800) 640-7200.
SeniorsPlus at 8 Falcon Road in Lewiston is the Area Agency on Aging for the county. Call (800) 427-1241, or the local office at (207) 795-4010, and ask about environmental modification help.
The Section 19 waiver covers Environmental Modifications, but its page does not name stair lifts. Ask about your specific case at (833) 525-5784.
Yes. The MaineHousing Community Aging in Place Grant, run locally by Community Concepts, Inc., serves homeowners age 55+ or with a disability at or below 100% of Area Median Income. Call (207) 795-4065.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, which matters here because icy, snowy winters raise fall risk outside. We look at the steps, the slope and where snow piles up before recommending one.
The Lewiston Field Office at 35 Westminster Street, (207) 753-9106, can help with VA benefits. The nearest VA medical facility is the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
