Fulton County sits in the southern Adirondack foothills northwest of Albany, and roughly 58% of its 533 square miles lies inside Adirondack Park. That means two very different kinds of homes. There are close-set houses in the two small cities, Gloversville and Johnstown, and there are outlying properties in towns like Broadalbin, Northampton, Caroga and Bleecker, reached by roads such as NY-30, NY-29 and NY-10.
Many of these homes sit on sloped lots, with stepped front entries outside and a full flight of stairs inside. When climbing those steps gets hard, a stair lift can keep the upstairs bedroom and bathroom in use. This page walks through how local houses affect the choice of lift and which programs may help pay for one.
Gloversville began in 1852 as 250 small wood-frame houses centered on the Four Corners. It grew fast between 1890 and 1950, when it and neighboring Johnstown were the hub of U.S. glove making. Much of the housing in its core neighborhoods, including historic districts on the National Register, dates from that boom.
Those homes tend to have multi-story stair layouts. A single straight flight is usually the simplest and least involved install, since the rail runs the length of the stairs and mounts to the treads. Where a staircase turns at a landing or winds, a curved rail built to that stair is the usual answer.
Split-level homes come up often too. Several short runs between levels can mean more than one lift, so it helps to decide which levels you really need to reach before anyone measures.
Outside the cities, much of the county is rural, hilly and forested. Driveways run long, and front entrances often have exterior steps. Adirondack-adjacent winters bring regular snow and ice to those steps, which adds a seasonal fall risk on top of the indoor stairs.
For a home where the entry steps are the real problem, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift or a ramp may fit better than a seat. Getting into the house safely in January matters as much as getting upstairs.
About 20.8% of county residents are 65 or older, and 66.6% own their homes. A lot of people here are aging in houses they have lived in for years, which is exactly the situation stair lifts are built for.
Not everyone owns, though. Walk-up apartments and townhouses are part of the local mix. If you rent, talk with your landlord before any installation, and note that one state program below includes rental units.
The county's median household income is about $50,248, and roughly 13% of residents live below the poverty line. In Gloversville that figure was about 21.5% as of 2020. For many families, low-cost or no-cost routes matter more than paying out of pocket.
The NHTD Medicaid waiver is the one program in this list whose source names stair lifts as a covered modification. The others either do not mention stair lifts or help with accessibility changes in general terms, so ask each one directly before you count on it. The Fulton County Office for Aging at (518) 736-5650 is a good first call to sort out which ones fit.
This New York Medicaid waiver lists stair lifts and vertical lifts as covered environmental modifications for people leaving a nursing facility or at risk of entering one due to a physical disability, as long as the lift is in the approved service plan. Call NY Connects at (800) 342-9871 to start.
A state grant for households at or below 80% of area median income (120% for veterans with a certified service-connected disability) that pays for modifications such as ramps, lifts, handrails and doorway widening in owner-occupied or rental homes. Stair lifts are not specifically named, and funds go through local program administrators rather than a single phone line.
A service program for people 60 and older who need help with daily activities and are not Medicaid-eligible for the same services; its ancillary services may include home repairs and assistive devices, though stair lifts are not named. Call the Johnstown office at (518) 736-5650.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 maximums of $126,526 (SAH), $25,350 (SHA) and $50,961 or $9,100 (TRA), to change a home for independent living; stair lifts are not specifically listed. The Fulton County Veterans Service Agency can help with VA claims at (518) 736-5651.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan; qualifying repairs include accessibility changes and stair hazards, though stair lifts are not named. Much of rural Fulton County outside Gloversville and Johnstown may qualify, but check your address on the USDA eligibility map.
A nonprofit independent living center serving Fulton County residents with disabilities, helping people navigate home services and Home and Community Based Waiver Services; it does not mention stair lifts specifically. Its nearest office is in Amsterdam, and the toll-free line is (800) 627-2981.
Older adults
19 N. William Street, Johnstown, 12095
Veterans
2712 State Highway 29, PO Box 127, Johnstown, 12095
It can through the NHTD Medicaid waiver, which lists stair lifts as a covered modification. You need to be a Medicaid recipient leaving a nursing facility or at risk of entering one, and the lift must be in your service plan. Call NY Connects at (800) 342-9871.
The EISEP program through the Fulton County Office for Aging serves people 60 and older who need help with daily activities. Its ancillary services may include home repairs and assistive devices, but stair lifts are not named, so ask. The office is at 19 N. William Street, Johnstown, and the number is (518) 736-5650.
Possibly. Much of rural Fulton County falls in USDA-eligible territory, but it is checked address by address on the USDA eligibility map. Very-low-income homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1%, and those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan may get a grant up to $10,000.
Call the Fulton County Veterans Service Agency at (518) 736-5651, at 2712 State Highway 29 in Johnstown. Its accredited service officers help with VA claims. The VA housing grants describe changes like ramps and doorway widening and do not name stair lifts, so ask how they apply to your home.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, which matters here given the regular snow and ice. If a wheelchair user needs to get in, a platform lift or a ramp may work better. A home visit will show which fits your entry.
The NY State Access to Home Program covers rental units as well as owner-occupied homes for households at or below 80% of area median income with a documented disability. Talk with your landlord before any work, since a lift mounts to the stairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
