Steele County takes in four towns: Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, Medford and Ellendale. The housing runs from historic homes in downtown Owatonna, near the Jewel Box bank Louis Sullivan designed, to newer suburban builds and farm acreages spread across low rolling hills. Each of those home types puts a different staircase in front of the people living in it.
This page walks through what those staircases mean for a stair lift, from the original stairs in an older Owatonna house to the short flights in a split-level. It also lists the state, county and federal programs that may help pay for one, with the phone numbers to call.
Local real-estate descriptions split the county into three groups: downtown Owatonna historic homes, newer suburban builds and rural acreages. The historic homes are often multi-story with their original staircases still in place.
A straight stair lift is usually the simplest and least costly fit. Older staircases can turn at a landing or wind near the top, and those usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure on site before quoting either type.
Split-level homes are common in the newer neighborhoods. They have short flights between levels, so a person may need a lift on one flight or on two, depending on where the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen sit.
Duplexes and walk-up apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairs. In a rental or shared stairway, the owner has to approve the install before any work starts. A stair lift folds up so the stairs stay usable for others in the building.
About 29.7 percent of county residents live in rural areas, many on farm acreages outside the towns. On those properties the hardest climb is often the porch or deck steps, not the inside stairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on exterior steps. Where there is a wheelchair, or no stairs suitable for a seat, a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a stair lift. We look at the steps and the ground around them before recommending either.
About 19.0 percent of Steele County residents are 65 or older, and 77.3 percent of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, because most of the loan programs below require the borrower to own and live in the house.
If that includes someone in your family, the county veterans office can help sort out which VA grants apply.
Many families here pay out of pocket. For those who need help, the Minnesota Elderly Waiver is the program that names home modifications as a covered service, for people 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance.
Low-income homeowners can look at the deferred, 0 percent interest loans that Semcac administers in Steele County, and rural homeowners can check USDA Section 504. These loan programs describe accessibility improvements in general terms and do not name stair lifts, so ask directly before you apply. The full list is below.
A Medicaid waiver for Minnesotans 65 and older who are at risk of nursing-home placement and qualify for Medical Assistance; home modifications are a named covered service, though no dollar cap is stated. Apply through Steele County Community Services / MN Prairie County Alliance or the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.
Deferred, 0 percent interest loans of up to $37,500 (rehabilitation) or $27,000 (emergency and accessibility) for very low income owner-occupants, forgiven after 15 years if you stay in the home. Accessibility work is described generally and stair lifts are not named; call (651) 296-8215.
Semcac runs the Minnesota Housing repair loans for low-income homeowners in Steele County and six nearby counties, with the same $37,500 and $27,000 caps and 15-year forgiveness. Its materials mention essential accessibility improvements but do not name stair lifts; call (507) 864-7741.
Serves Steele County residents 60 and older and their caregivers with resources such as caregiver support, home health agencies, meals on wheels and transportation; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (507) 288-6944.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1 percent for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, in USDA-eligible rural areas for very-low-income owners. Ramps and other accessibility improvements are listed as examples, but stair lifts are not named.
Provides up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes for veterans, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (507) 444-7590 for help with other parts of a home project.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for homeowner veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; the examples given are ramps and widened doorways, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (507) 444-7590.
Offers claims assistance, benefits information and appeals help for veterans, families, surviving spouses and dependent children in Steele County, including help with VA housing grants; it has no stair lift fund of its own. Call (507) 444-7590.
Serves people of any age with any disability in an 11-county area that includes Steele County, with services such as assistive technology, community access and homemaker and respite help; stair lifts and home modifications are not named. Call (507) 285-1815.
Older adults
2720 Superior Dr. NW, Suite 300, Rochester, 55901
Veterans
630 Florence Avenue, PO Box 890, Owatonna, 55060
The Elderly Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service for people 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance and are at risk of nursing-home placement. The 2026 income limit is $2,982 a month and the asset limit is $3,000 for a single applicant. Start with the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 or Steele County Community Services / MN Prairie County Alliance.
SEMAAA serves residents 60 and older and their caregivers at (507) 288-6944. SEMCIL serves people with disabilities of any age at (507) 285-1815. The Semcac repair loans are based on income and homeownership, not age.
They are deferred loans at 0 percent interest that are forgiven after 15 years, or 10 years for a mobile home in a park, if you stay in the home. Stair lifts are not named, so ask Semcac at (507) 864-7741 whether your project qualifies.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either. Steele County Veteran Services at 630 Florence Avenue in Owatonna, (507) 444-7460, can review which benefits fit your situation.
USDA Section 504 is built for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. On the house itself, check the porch and deck steps as well as the inside stairs, since an outdoor lift or platform lift may be the real need.
Usually, yes. Straight runs take a standard rail, while stairs that turn at a landing or wind need a curved rail made to fit. An on-site measurement tells you which one your staircase needs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
