Franklin County runs 1,697 square miles along the Canadian border, from Malone and Chateaugay in the north down to Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and Paul Smiths inside Adirondack Park. At about 29 people per square mile, most of the county's 22 towns are small and spread out, and the nearest relative or neighbor can be a long drive away in winter.
Many homes here have been in the same hands for decades. Malone, the county seat, was incorporated as a village in 1853 and peaked at 9,501 residents around 1950, which left behind neighborhoods of older, multi-story houses. For a lot of families, the question is not whether to move but how to make the stairs in a long-owned home safe again.
The older multi-story houses in Malone and the county's other historic villages often have a single straight staircase between floors. A straight stair lift is the simplest fit for that layout: a rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and the chair rides up one side.
Older staircases are not always straight, though. A landing halfway up, a turn at the top or a winding section calls for a curved rail built to that specific staircase. We measure every stair before recommending one or the other.
The county's housing also includes split-level homes, duplexes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A split-level may have two or three short runs of stairs, and each run that gets used every day needs its own look.
In a duplex or townhouse, the main stairs are usually inside the unit and can take a standard lift. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, so the owner or landlord has to be part of the conversation before anything is installed.
Adirondack winters here are long and snowy, and the cold months are when indoor stairs become hardest for older residents. They are also when porch and entry steps get icy.
If the trouble starts at the front door, an outdoor stair lift built for exterior steps or a platform lift for a wheelchair user may make more sense than an indoor unit. For many households the practical answer is one lift inside and a plan for the entry.
Out of a population of 52,274, about 18.8% of Franklin County residents are 65 or older, and 68.0% of households own their home. That is a large group of people living in houses they would rather adapt than leave.
Their benefits work differently from the general programs, so they have their own entries below.
Incomes in the county have long been modest; the 2000 census put the county's median household income at $31,517. That makes outside help worth looking into before paying out of pocket.
None of the programs below name stair lifts in their published materials, and the VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. Several do fund accessibility or safety work, so the right move is to call and ask directly. The Franklin County Office for the Aging at 355 W. Main St. Suite 447 in Malone, (518) 481-1526, is a good first call.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC) and New York EISEP. Veterans can reach the Veterans Services Agency at 355 West Main Street, Suite 200, Malone, at (518) 481-1540.
A state program that helps low- and moderate-income households with a member living with a disability pay for accessibility changes, with examples like ramps, lifts, handrails and doorway widening; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Funds go through local Program Administrators, not directly to homeowners, and income must be at or below 80% of area median income (120% for eligible veterans with a disability certification).
Emergency repairs for homeowners age 60 or older with income at or below 100% of area median income, up to $20,000 per project, to fix conditions that threaten health or safety. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program's materials, and applications go through local Program Administrators.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very low income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named among example modifications, and each address must be checked on the USDA eligibility map.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary home changes, but it explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, usable up to 6 times. Stair lifts are not specifically listed among covered modifications.
The county's hub for aging services such as home care, housing assistance, caregiver support and transportation; it is a referral point rather than a stair lift fund, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (518) 481-1526.
Serves people with disabilities in all of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, with an office in Malone; its current housing programs are rental-focused and do not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (518) 483-2151 to ask what referral help is available.
Older adults
355 W. Main St. Suite 447, Malone, 12953
Veterans
355 West Main Street, Suite 200, Malone, 12953
RESTORE requires the homeowner to be 60 or older, and USDA Section 504 grants require age 62. The Access to Home Program is based on a documented disability and household income rather than age, so it is worth asking about.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, but their materials do not name stair lifts, so ask the Veterans Services Agency in Malone at (518) 481-1540.
Much of Franklin County is rural and inside Adirondack Park, so many addresses are likely eligible. Eligibility still has to be confirmed address by address on the USDA eligibility map.
Not directly. Both programs send their funds through local Program Administrators, which are municipalities or New York not-for-profits. The Office for the Aging at (518) 481-1526 can help point you to the right one.
A single straight staircase usually takes a straight stair lift. Stairs with a landing, a turn or a winding section need a curved rail made for that staircase, which is why we measure first.
The Massena Independent Living Center covers all of Franklin County and has a Malone office at (518) 483-2151. Its listed housing programs are rental-focused, so ask directly about home modification referrals.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
