Becker County is lake country, with low rolling hills and water covering roughly 9% of the land. Homes here range from year-round houses in Detroit Lakes, Frazee and Lake Park to farmhouses and lake cabins scattered between Audubon, Ogema, Pine Point, White Earth and Osage. Many of those homes were built with a basement, a second floor or a few steps at every door.
The average home in the county was built around 1979, and county housing-age maps show a notable share of homes roughly 80 or more years old. Add winters that average around -2 degrees F in January, and getting up and down stairs safely becomes a year-round question. This page walks through which kinds of stair lifts fit local homes and which programs can help pay for one.
The county's housing includes single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. A ranch-style home usually has one main floor, but the basement stairs are often where laundry or a bedroom sits. Those basement flights are frequently straight, which makes them a good fit for a straight stair lift.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights, sometimes with a turn or landing, so one curved lift or more than one straight lift may be needed. Older farmhouses and lake-cabin conversions can have narrow or steep stairs that were never planned for single-level living, so we measure every staircase before recommending a model.
In walk-up apartments and townhouses, the stairs may be shared or governed by an association. It is worth checking who owns the stairway before planning an install.
Becker County has an overall vacancy rate of 28.16%, which likely reflects the many seasonal lake cabins. Cabins often sit on sloped lots with steps down toward the water or up to a deck. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can make those steps usable again.
Winter is the bigger concern. The county once recorded a low of -46 degrees F in February 1936, and icy entry steps are a real fall risk for anyone aging in place. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift at the entry can be a better answer than a seat-style lift.
About 70.9% of county residents live in rural areas, and Detroit Lakes is the main commercial hub. That spread-out pattern makes it harder to find contractors and in-home services, especially once snow arrives. Planning an install before winter gives more scheduling room and a safer setup for the cold months.
Both groups have specific programs worth checking, covered below.
Two Minnesota Medicaid waivers, the Minnesota Elderly Waiver (EW) and the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver, list home modifications as a covered service. Neither names stair lifts directly, so confirm with a case manager. Both start with a MnCHOICES assessment through Becker County Human Services at (218) 847-5628; ask for Adult Services Intake.
Homeowners with very low income in rural areas can look at USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants, which can be used for accessibility changes. Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Becker County Veterans Service Office at 915 Lake Avenue in Detroit Lakes, (218) 846-7312, can talk through other options.
Statewide, Minnesota also offers the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan) and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP). Ask county intake staff whether any of these fit your situation.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care, and it lists home modifications as a covered benefit, though stair lifts are not named and dollar limits are not stated. Apply through Becker County Human Services, or call (800) 333-2433.
A Medicaid waiver with no stated minimum age for children and adults with disabilities who need a nursing-facility level of care; it covers modifications to the home or vehicle. Start with a MnCHOICES assessment through Becker County Human Services, or call (866) 333-2466.
The county's front door for Elderly Waiver, CADI Waiver and other MnCHOICES-assessed services; it is not a cash grant and the source does not list stair lifts. Call (218) 847-5628 and ask for Adult Services Intake.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan; funds can go toward accessibility improvements in eligible rural areas.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes, but it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not pay for a stair lift. The Becker County Veterans Service Office is at (218) 846-7312.
VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026); the source mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not list stair lifts. Call the county veterans office at (218) 846-7312.
Serves older adults, caregivers and people with disabilities in a 21-county region that includes Becker County, with information, referral and Medicare counseling; stair lifts are not listed. Call (218) 745-6733.
In-kind help such as housekeeping, snow removal, lawn care and home repairs for people 65 or older or disabled who are referred as waiver clients by County Human Services; stair lifts are not listed. Call (888) 458-1385.
Offers information and referral, advocacy, peer support and temporary ramps for people with disabilities of any age in its service area, which includes Becker County; stair lifts are not listed. Call (218) 998-1799.
Older adults
111 South Civic Center Drive, Oklee, 56742
Veterans
915 Lake Avenue, Detroit Lakes, 56501
Usually, yes. Split-level homes often need either one curved lift that follows the turns or separate straight lifts for each flight. We measure each staircase to see which setup fits.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, such as cabin steps or a deck. With January temperatures averaging around -2 degrees F here, it makes sense to plan for winter use from the start.
The Minnesota Elderly Waiver (EW) and the CADI Waiver both list home modifications as a covered service, though stair lifts are not named. Call Becker County Human Services at (218) 847-5628 and ask for Adult Services Intake to start a MnCHOICES assessment.
The CADI Waiver has no stated minimum age and serves children and adults with disabilities who need a nursing-facility level of care. USDA Section 504 grants are for homeowners 62 or older, and its repair loans have no age requirement listed.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, and the SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts. The Becker County Veterans Service Office at 915 Lake Avenue in Detroit Lakes, (218) 846-7312, can review what else may apply.
MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership offers senior homemaking and chore services, including snow removal, for waiver clients referred by County Human Services. Their number is (888) 458-1385.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
