Lake of the Woods County is Minnesota's northernmost county, and its year-round homes sit mostly in and around Baudette and Williams, with more scattered across outlying townships. The 2020 Census counted 3,391 housing units here, but 48.5% were vacant, which fits a lake-and-border county full of seasonal cabins and second homes.
That means the homes that need a stair lift are usually the permanently occupied ones, and many of them are older. If a parent in one of those houses is starting to struggle with the basement steps or the climb to a bedroom, this page walks through what kind of lift fits and where to look for help paying for it.
Housing here runs from single-family homes and ranch-style homes to split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A ranch-style house often keeps everything on one floor, so the stairs that matter are usually the ones going down to the basement or laundry. Those tend to be one straight run, and a straight stair lift is the simplest and least costly fit.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, so you may need a lift on more than one set of steps, or a curved lift if a flight turns at a landing. Townhouses often put bedrooms upstairs, which makes the main staircase the one to measure first.
The county covers about 1,775 square miles, and roughly 27% of that is water, including Lake of the Woods itself on the Canadian border. The land is low rolling hills, partly wooded and farmed, and the 2020 Census found the population effectively 100% rural.
Being this far from town affects planning. Contractors and medical specialists are not close by, so it helps to get the stairs measured once and choose a lift that will not need frequent service calls. If the trouble spot is a set of porch or deck steps rather than an indoor staircase, ask about an outdoor lift built for weather, or a platform lift when a wheelchair is involved.
About 21.7% of residents are 65 or older, and 71.6% own their homes. That combination is why so many families here look at a stair lift rather than a move: the house is paid for or close to it, and the main problem is one staircase.
The county does not have a VA facility listed, but the county Veterans Service Officer in Baudette arranges transportation to VA appointments anywhere in Minnesota.
No program below names stair lifts as a covered item, so expect to ask directly and get answers in writing. The most likely public route is the Minnesota Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications as a covered service. You start it through Lake of the Woods County Social Services with a long-term care needs assessment, and approval can take up to 3 months or longer.
For homeowners with very low income, the USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and, for those 62 and older, grants. Northwest Community Action and the Headwaters Regional Development Commission are the regional contacts for low-income home repair and accessibility help. Other statewide programs to ask about include the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan) and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP).
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The county Veterans Service Officer can help sort out which VA benefits might apply instead.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older who need a nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 limit of $2,982 a month in income and $3,000 in assets for a single applicant; it lists home modifications but does not mention stair lifts. Apply through county Social Services, or call (800) 333-2433.
The regional Older Americans Act funder and information point for a 21-county Northwest and West Central Minnesota region; it does not list a stair lift or home modification grant. Call (218) 745-6733 for referrals, including to the Elderly Waiver.
The community action agency for Kittson, Roseau, Marshall and Lake of the Woods Counties, offering weatherization for low-income households; stair lifts are not listed. Call (218) 528-3258 for its regional resource list.
Loans that help low-income homeowners finance improvements tied to safety or accessibility; stair lifts are not named as an example. Call (218) 444-4732 to confirm current terms and whether the county is in the active service area.
A free resource for people with disabilities in Northeast North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota, offering accessibility assistance, housing assistance and an equipment loaner closet; stair lifts are not itemized. Call (800) 726-3692.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for up to 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call the state office at (651) 602-7800 to reach your Rural Development representative.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers; it does not cover stair lifts or stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, to build, buy or remodel for accessibility; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
A county office at the Government Center in Baudette that helps veterans file benefit claims and provides transportation to VA appointments; home modifications are not mentioned. Call (218) 634-2219.
The local intake point for Elderly Waiver long-term care consultation and disability services; it does not list a stair lift program. Call (218) 634-2642 to request a needs assessment.
Older adults
111 South Civic Center Drive, Oklee, 56742
Veterans
Government Center, 206 8th Ave SE, Baudette, 56623
Call Lake of the Woods County Social Services at (218) 634-2642 and ask for a long-term care needs assessment. Approval can take up to 3 months or longer and is not guaranteed, so start early.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either, so ask the county Veterans Service Officer at (218) 634-2219 what may apply.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for work that removes health and safety hazards. Call (651) 602-7800 to be routed to your representative.
Often, yes. Each flight is measured on its own, and a flight that turns at a landing may need a curved lift rather than a straight one.
The Northwest AAA (Inter-County Community Council) at 111 South Civic Center Drive in Oklee can be reached at (218) 281-8288.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
