Old Town Lansing has many architecturally significant buildings dating to the mid-19th century. A few miles south, REO Town grew up around the early-20th-century auto industry, in the city known as the birthplace of the automobile in the United States. Many of the houses from those eras have two or more floors and the steep, narrow stairs that came with them.
Beyond Lansing, the county's 12 towns run from East Lansing, Okemos, Holt and Haslett out to Mason, Williamston, Leslie, Webberville, Stockbridge and Dansville. This page covers which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes here and which local and state programs may help cover the cost.
Long-time owners in Old Town, REO Town, the Westside and the Southside often live in pre-1950s, multi-level homes. Many would rather stay upstairs-and-down than move, and a stair lift is often the simplest way to make that possible.
When a staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail lift is usually the quickest install and the lowest cost. Older homes sometimes have a landing turn or a winder at the top. In that case the rail is bent to follow the stairs, and that is what a curved lift is for.
Split-level homes are common around the county. They have several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes a single curved rail can connect them. Other times, two short straight lifts make more sense, and we work that out by measuring each run.
Townhouses tend to have one long, enclosed staircase, and that usually suits a straight lift. Low-rise apartment buildings have shared stairs, so any install there needs the building owner's approval first.
Ingham County covers 561 square miles of gently rolling ground between roughly 800 and 1,000 feet, with the Grand River along the west edge and the Red Cedar River across the north. As of the 2020 census, 85.4% of residents lived in urban areas, so most of our installs are in city and inner-suburban homes.
Inside stairs aren't always the hard part. Sometimes it's the steps up to the porch or down into a sloped yard. An outdoor stair lift runs on a weather-rated rail over exterior steps. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift can carry the chair itself.
About 13.8% of Ingham County residents are 65 or older, and 54.6% of households own their home. Owning matters because nearly every assistance program below requires the applicant to own the house where the lift goes.
The Ingham County Department of Veteran Affairs at 5303 S. Cedar Street in Lansing, (517) 887-4331, is the place to start on VA housing benefits.
The county's poverty rate is 18.6%, higher than Michigan's 13.5%, and the median household income is $65,235. As a result, many older homeowners here may qualify for income-based help before paying the full cost out of pocket.
The best first call is the Tri-County Office on Aging at (517) 887-1440, 5303 S. Cedar Street, Suite 1, Lansing. It administers the MI Choice waiver for Ingham County and can route you to Older Americans Act home-modification services. Each program is summarized below, along with what its source says about stair lifts.
This Medicaid waiver is for Michigan residents 65 and older, or 18 and older with a qualifying physical disability, who need a nursing-facility level of care but can live safely at home. It covers home modifications, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982/month and an asset limit of $9,950 for a single applicant. Confirm stair lift eligibility with the Tri-County Office on Aging at (517) 887-1440.
The Area Agency on Aging for Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties offers the MI Choice Waiver, Care Management and Case Coordination. Its source does not mention stair lifts, and all programs may have a waitlist. Call (517) 887-1440 as your first referral stop.
These federal funds pass through Michigan's Area Agency on Aging network for residents 60 and older, and they may include home assessments and modifications. Ask the Tri-County Office on Aging at (517) 887-1440 whether the funds can go toward a stair lift.
Capital Area Community Services runs this program, which pays for home repairs for Ingham County homeowners at or below 120% of Area Median Income. Its source does not list stair lifts or accessibility work, and it was closed to new applications with a waitlist. Call (517) 676-7220 for current status.
Very low income homeowners in USDA-eligible areas can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% interest. Those 62 and older can also get grants of up to $10,000, and grants may be used to make the home accessible for a household member with a disability. Eligibility depends on the address, so call (517) 324-5221.
This benefit pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility work for enrolled VA patients. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. For questions, call (517) 887-4331.
These grants are for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities: SAH pays up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 to adapt a home. The source names work like ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts. Call the Ingham County Department of Veteran Affairs at (517) 887-4331.
This is a loan program for Michigan residents with disabilities, including older adults, and it appears to be run through the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC). The source does not confirm that it covers stair lifts or state loan terms, so contact MDRC directly.
This Lansing-based group builds entry ramps and installs accessibility devices at little to no cost to income-qualified households across mid-Michigan. Its source does not mention stair lifts. Call (517) 332-4663 to ask about current scope.
This center offers information and referral, peer support, independent living skills and related services, but it is not a funding source. It does not list stair lifts. Call (517) 999-2760 to ask about home-modification referrals.
Older adults
5303 S. Cedar Street, Suite 1, Lansing, 48911
Veterans
5303 S. Cedar Street, Human Services Building, Entrance 2, Lansing, 48911
Yes, possibly. The MI Choice waiver accepts applicants 18 and older with a qualifying physical disability who need a nursing-facility level of care. Call the Tri-County Office on Aging at (517) 887-1440.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants cover adaptations for qualifying veterans, but their source does not name stair lifts. Ask the Ingham County Department of Veteran Affairs at (517) 887-4331.
Eligibility depends on whether your specific address falls in a USDA-eligible area. Much of the county is urban, so check your address by calling (517) 324-5221.
For 2026, the income limit is up to $2,982/month regardless of marital status. The asset limit is $9,950 for a single applicant.
It was closed to new applications and waitlisted, and its source does not list stair lifts. Call Capital Area Community Services at (517) 676-7220 to check.
Not always. Depending on how the short flights line up, a split-level may work with one curved rail or two short straight lifts. Measuring each run tells us which one fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
