Alcona County is more water than land. About 62% of its 1,791 square miles is water, and homes in Harrisville, Lincoln, Hubbard Lake and Lost Lake Woods sit along Lake Huron, inland lakes and stretches of state and national forest. That geography shapes the houses, and the houses shape what kind of stair lift makes sense.
Many places here were built as cottages or older year-round homes with stairs and not much single-floor living. Of the 10,263 housing units counted in the county, 52.2% were vacant, which points to a large share of seasonal and vacation homes. If you or a parent now live in one of these homes full time, the stairs can become the hardest part of the day.
The common home styles here are single-family homes, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and some low-rise buildings. A ranch-style home often has one flight down to a basement, where the laundry or a furnace room may be. That is usually a straight run, and a straight stair lift is the simplest and quickest kind to install.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and sometimes a person needs to get up more than one. Each short run can take its own straight lift, or a curved lift can follow a turn if the stairs wrap. We look at where daily life happens before recommending either.
Older cottages tend to have narrow or turning staircases. A curved stair lift is built to the exact shape of the stairs, so we measure carefully on site rather than quoting from a photo.
With shoreline on Lake Huron and homes around Hubbard Lake, one of Michigan's twenty largest inland lakes, a lot of properties have steps outside the house. Deck stairs or steps from the drive to the front door can block someone just as much as an indoor staircase.
Outdoor stair lifts are made to handle weather on exterior steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps to an entry, a platform lift may fit better than a seat. We can walk the property with you and point out which option matches each set of stairs.
Alcona County had a 2024 median age of 60, well above typical state and national figures. In the figures we work from, 46.6% of residents are 65 or older, and 88.4% own their homes. For many households, staying put means adapting the house they already own.
The county is sparsely populated and forested, with US-23 and M-72 as the main routes and limited public transit. Living in a home that works for you matters more when the nearest help may be a long drive away.
No program in the list below names stair lifts as a covered item, and two of them clearly do not cover them. Several do cover home modifications or accessibility repairs in general, so it is worth asking whether a stair lift could qualify in your case.
Good first calls are the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency AAA at (989) 356-3474 in Alpena and, for veterans, the Alcona County Veteran’s Affairs Office at (989) 724-9510 in Lincoln. Statewide programs you may also hear about include the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) and MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link).
A state Medicaid waiver for Michigan residents 65 and older, or 18 to 64 with a disability, who meet nursing facility level of care; it covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not listed, so a supports coordinator would decide case by case. Call (800) 803-7174.
An information, referral and care management office for adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities in Alcona County and nearby counties; no stair lift or home modification benefit is listed. Call (989) 356-4600 for referrals or help with a MI Choice or other home modification application.
Income-based help for owners who live in their single-family home, with 'handicap accessibility' among the eligible repairs, though stair lifts are not named specifically. The office is at 216 Main Street in Harrisville; call (989) 724-9515.
Rural homeowners at or below 50% of Area Median Income can borrow up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years, and those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan may get a grant of up to $10,000. Ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs are listed as accessibility repairs; stair lifts are not named.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on the veteran's disability, for medically necessary home changes such as permanent ramps and roll-in showers. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so this grant does not pay for a stair lift.
Free insulation, air-sealing and smoke and CO detectors for income-qualified households whose home has not been weatherized in the past 15 years. It is not an accessibility program and does not cover stair lifts; call (989) 358-4700 for weatherization.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities of any age in a 12-county area that includes Alcona County, offering advocacy, information and referral, and peer support. No stair lift or home modification funding is listed; call (989) 835-4041 to ask about referrals.
Older adults
2375 Gordon Rd., Alpena, 49707
Veterans
220 S 2nd Street, Lincoln, 48742
Not through the HISA grant, which names stair glides as equipment it does not cover. HISA can help with other changes like permanent ramps or roll-in showers. The Alcona County Veteran’s Affairs Office in Lincoln, at (989) 724-9510, can talk through other VA options.
Yes, possibly. The MI Choice Waiver accepts adults 18 to 64 with a disability who meet nursing facility level of care, and Disability Network Mid-Michigan serves people with disabilities of any age in Alcona County.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps like deck stairs or entry steps. For a wheelchair user facing a few steps at the door, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can assess both on site.
Sometimes. Each short flight can take its own straight lift, or a curved lift may cover a turning set. It depends on which levels you use every day, which is why we measure in person.
The Alcona County Housing Commission in Harrisville runs a Home Rehabilitation Program that lists handicap accessibility among eligible repairs for income-qualified owner-occupants. Stair lifts are not named, so call (989) 724-9515 to ask.
No. The NEMCSA Weatherization Assistance Program covers insulation, air-sealing and smoke and CO detectors only, and it does not fund structural, plumbing or electrical repairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
