Sanford earned the name 'Brick Capital of the USA' from the red clay and shale under Lee County, and in 1959 it made 10 percent of all bricks produced in the United States. Walk downtown and you still see it in the 1910 train depot and the brick storefronts in many hues and textures. Out past the historic core, and in Broadway, much of the housing is newer single-story construction from the county's more recent growth.
That mix matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A brick home with a full staircase, a townhouse with stacked floors and a single-story house with a few entry steps each call for a different answer. This page walks through what fits the homes in Lee County and which local offices can help you sort out payment.
Housing here includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Townhouses and many detached houses tend to have one straight run of stairs, which is the simplest and quickest kind of stair lift to install.
Older homes and some brick buildings can have landings, turns or narrow stairwells. Those usually need a curved lift, where the rail is built to the exact shape of your staircase. We measure on site before recommending either type.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise a different question: who owns the stairs. If the staircase is shared or belongs to a landlord, permission comes first, and we can talk through that with you.
NCpedia places Lee County in North Carolina's Piedmont region, with some parts technically in the Coastal Plain. The same clay-rich soil that fed the brick industry sits under many yards and porch foundations.
A single-story house can still have a stoop or porch steps that become the hardest part of getting in and out. For those, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure, or a vertical platform lift for someone using a wheelchair, is often the better fit than anything indoors. We check the footing and the condition of the steps as part of the visit.
Both groups are worth noting because several of the payment programs below are tied to age or veteran status.
Roughly 53.2% of residents own their homes, which means a large share rent. Owners can install a lift on their own schedule. Renters will want to involve the landlord early, and some programs below require that the applicant own the home.
None of the programs we reviewed names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides. That does not rule out help, but it means you should ask each office directly before counting on funds.
A good first call is Lee County Senior Services at The Enrichment Center, (919) 776-0501 ex. 2212, which coordinates access to several home repair programs. For broader options counseling, the Triangle J Area Agency on Aging is at (919) 549-0551, and the Region J - Central Pines Regional Council AAA in Raleigh is at (919) 558-9394.
Homeowners who qualify may also want to look at the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1). It lowers property taxes rather than paying for equipment, which can free up room in a household budget.
A Medicaid home and community services waiver for disabled adults age 18+ who meet a nursing-facility level of care; its service list includes an 'Equipment, modification and technology' category, but stair lifts are not named. Call (888) 245-0179.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas; the source cites ramp construction as a use but does not mention stair lifts. Call (919) 775-3407.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans, in owned or rented homes; stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded. Call (919) 776-0501.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026); example uses are ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (919) 776-0501.
The Enrichment Center connects Lee County seniors with several community and state home repair programs rather than paying out grants itself; stair lifts are not listed. Call (919) 776-0501 ex. 2212.
Builds and repairs homes with community volunteers for families who meet Habitat's income and need criteria; no stair lift or accessibility program is named. Call (919) 774-7779.
Offers case management, housing counseling, housing rehabilitation and weatherization for income-qualified Lee County residents; accessibility work and stair lifts are not itemized. Call (919) 776-0746.
Provides information, referral and options counseling for older adults, typically 60+, and family caregivers in a region that includes Lee County; it is not a direct grant and stair lifts are not listed. Call (919) 549-0551.
Older adults
1307 Glenwood Ave., Suite 200, Raleigh, 27605
Veterans
1615 S. Third Street, Sanford, 27330
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask. Lee County Veterans Services is at 1615 S. Third Street in Sanford, (919) 776-0501.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so call (919) 775-3407 to ask whether your project qualifies.
CAP/DA serves Medicaid-eligible disabled adults age 18+ who meet a nursing-facility level of care. Its covered services include equipment and modifications, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (888) 245-0179.
Yes, with the landlord's agreement. Some programs, like the VA SAH and USDA 504, require owning the home, while HISA applies to rented homes but excludes stair glides.
Start with The Enrichment Center, (919) 776-0501 ex. 2212. It coordinates several home repair programs for seniors and can point you to the one that fits.
Often the issue is the entry steps or porch rather than an inside staircase. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can handle those, and we check the steps and footing during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
