Broadwater County sits between the Big Belt Mountains, the Elkhorn Mountains and the Horseshoe Hills, with Canyon Ferry Lake in the middle of it. Most people live in or around Townsend, the county seat, with smaller places like Toston, Wheatland, Spokane Creek and The Silos spread across a lot of open country. Homes here are mostly single-family, and most of them are owned by the people living in them.
That matters when stairs start to get hard. If you own the house and plan to stay, a stair lift is often simpler than moving or rebuilding. This page walks through how local homes tend to be laid out, which kind of lift usually fits, and which offices in and around Broadwater County can help with the cost.
Broadwater County has about 4,998 residents, and 19.8% are 65 or older. Roughly 84.0% of households own their homes. That is a lot of people who have the freedom to modify their own stairs without asking a landlord.
If that includes you or your parent, the VA programs further down are worth a look, though one of them does not pay for stair lifts at all.
Ranch-style homes are common here, and the stairs that cause trouble are usually the ones down to a basement laundry or the steps up to the front door. A basement flight that runs straight top to bottom is the easiest job: a straight stair lift rail mounts to the treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between several levels, and getting to the bedrooms may mean a turn or a landing. A flight with a turn needs a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs, which takes measuring and more lead time.
Duplexes and walk-up apartments can work too, but if you rent, the owner has to agree before anything is installed. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair may be the better fit.
This is high, mountainous country, and the county itself notes that terrain and spread-out settlement affect winter mobility. Icy porch steps are often more dangerous than anything inside the house.
An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts and a cover for the seat. It can handle the entry steps of a ranch house or a deck, so a person can get from the car to the door without climbing in the snow. For ranches outside town, we look at the whole path from driveway to door before suggesting anything.
No program listed here names stair lifts as a covered item, so plan on asking directly. The Montana Big Sky Waiver and USDA Section 504 both pay for home modifications or safety repairs, and a caseworker can tell you whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
Start with Area IV - Rocky Mountain Development Council in Helena at (406) 447-1680. They serve Broadwater County and can point you to the right program. Veterans can call the Montana Veteran Affairs Division – Belgrade Field Office at (406) 388-4601.
Statewide options to ask about include the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit.
A Medicaid waiver for Montanans 65+ or with a qualifying physical disability who need nursing facility level of care; it covers home modifications like ramps and grab bars, but stair lifts are not named. Income limit is $994/month and asset limit $2,000 for a single person; call (800) 219-7035.
Free information, referral and options counseling for adults 60+ and adults 18+ with disabilities in Broadwater County; it does not fund stair lifts directly but can steer you to programs that might. Call (406) 447-1680.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners, with grants limited to owners 62+ for removing health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not named. Call (406) 585-2580.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for medically necessary home improvements for qualifying veterans. It explicitly does not cover stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH or $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named among covered features, so ask the VA before planning around it.
Free services for people with disabilities of any age in Broadwater County, including advocacy, peer mentoring and information and referral; it does not list stair lift funding. Call (406) 442-5755.
Older adults
208 N. Montana Ave., Suite 216, Helena, 59601
Veterans
350 Airport Road, Belgrade, 59714
The Big Sky Waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, but its examples are ramps, grab bars and wider doorways, not stair lifts. Call (800) 219-7035 to ask whether your situation qualifies.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. A veteran with a severe service-connected disability can ask about the SAH or SHA grants instead, or call the Belgrade field office at (406) 388-4601.
Yes, possibly. Area IV serves adults 18+ with disabilities, Ability Montana serves people with disabilities of any age, and the Big Sky Waiver accepts people under 65 with a qualifying physical disability.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is made for weather and can run up porch or deck steps, which helps a lot in a mountain winter.
No. Each flight can get its own straight lift, or a curved rail can be built to follow the turn. We measure the stairs first to see which works.
Area IV - Rocky Mountain Development Council at (406) 447-1680. They serve Broadwater County and can sort out which funding programs are worth your time.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
