Ishpeming and Negaunee grew fast during the iron-mining boom of the late 1800s, and many of the houses built then are still standing. Ishpeming, founded in 1873, went from 6,039 residents in 1880 to 13,255 around 1900. That growth left these towns with older, often multi-story homes that were built long before anyone thought about accessibility.
In the City of Marquette, the land itself adds stairs. There is roughly a 600-foot difference between the highest and lowest points in town, and neighborhoods like the Arch and Ridge Streets Historic District hold older homes with several levels and steps inside and out. From Gwinn and Republic to Palmer and Big Bay, this page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit local homes and where to look for help paying for one.
A lot of the housing in Ishpeming, Negaunee and West Ishpeming dates to the mining boom. These homes are often multi-story, and their staircases were not built with a lift in mind. When we measure, we look at stair width, the turns, and any landing partway up.
If the staircase runs in one straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simpler and faster install. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved lift, which uses a rail built to match that specific staircase.
Across the county you will find single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Split-level homes have short flights between floors, so one person may need help on more than one set of steps. We look at each flight separately and plan around how the home is actually used day to day.
Marquette's hills mean many houses sit above or below the street, with steps up to the front door or down to a lower level. Some low-rise buildings also have stairs at the entry. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift may be a better fit than a seated stair lift.
Winters here are severe even by Upper Peninsula standards, with January averages around 21°F for the high and 10°F for the low. Icy porch and entry steps are a real fall risk for a large part of the year. For many households, the outside stairs are the harder problem.
An outdoor stair lift is built for exterior use and can carry a person up the entry steps without walking on ice. We check the slope, the footing and where the lift will be parked when not in use before recommending one.
Marquette County has 44,808 residents, and 17.8% are 65 or older. The county is largely owner-occupied, with a homeownership rate of 69.6% as of 2024. That matters because many of the repair and modification programs below are open only to people who own and live in the home.
The Marquette County Department of Veterans Affairs at 215 West Hematite in Ishpeming can be reached at (906) 485-1996 to talk through VA housing benefits.
The program with the clearest fit is the USDA Section 504 home repair program. It lists accessibility changes as approved work, with loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62 and up. The home has to be in a USDA-eligible rural area, so check your specific address first.
Other programs may help depending on income, health and veteran status, though their sources do not mention stair lifts by name. A good first call is UPCAP, the U.P. Area Agency on Aging, at (906) 786-4701. They handle MI Choice waiver intake and can point you to other local resources. Statewide options include the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP), MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A Medicaid program for people 65 and up, or 18 and up who are blind or disabled, who meet nursing facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules; its service list includes home modifications for accessibility, but the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. In Marquette County it is run through UPCAP at (906) 786-4701.
A county housing rehabilitation program funded through CDBG dollars passed through MSHDA, previously recorded as a no-interest deferred loan with a waiting list. Current program details could not be confirmed and the source does not mention stair lifts, so call (906) 225-8193 to ask what it covers now.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners age 62 and up, and accessibility changes are approved work, which covers stair lifts. Call (800) 569-4287 and verify your address with USDA's online eligibility tool.
VA grants for veterans and service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The source gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not mention stair lifts by name.
SAIL offers device demonstrations, trainings, short-term equipment loans and help finding funding for people with disabilities across its 15-county Upper Peninsula area. It is not a direct funding source and the source does not mention stair lifts; call (906) 228-5744.
The regional Area Agency on Aging for all 15 Upper Peninsula counties, offering information, referral, care coordination and MI Choice intake rather than direct funding. The source does not list a stair lift program; call (906) 786-4701.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
215 West Hematite, Ishpeming, 49849
The MI Choice waiver's service list includes home modifications for accessibility, but the source does not name stair lifts. Call UPCAP at (906) 786-4701 to see whether you qualify and whether a lift can be part of your care plan.
USDA Section 504 grants are limited to homeowners age 62 and up, but the repair loans, up to $40,000 at 1% interest, are not limited to that age. You still need to meet the very-low-income limit and live in a USDA-eligible rural area.
Eligibility is decided address by address. Check your specific home with USDA's online eligibility tool, or call (800) 569-4287.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior stairs. With January lows around 10°F and icy steps much of the year, many households here start with the entry stairs, and we check the slope and footing before recommending a model.
Contact the Marquette County Department of Veterans Affairs at 215 West Hematite in Ishpeming, (906) 485-1996. They can explain the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants, which are for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities.
UPCAP, the U.P. Area Agency on Aging, at (906) 786-4701 is a good first stop. They handle MI Choice intake and refer seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers to other local resources.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
