Robeson County covers 949.26 square miles, the most land of any county in North Carolina, and its 13 towns run from Lumberton and Pembroke to Rowland, Parkton, Rennert and Elrod. About 76.0% of residents live in rural areas, so many homes sit well outside town limits, along roads that feed toward the Lumber River.
Housing here took a hard hit. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 brought record flooding to Lumberton and heavily damaged thousands of residences across the county. What is left is a mix of older homes that need modification and newer homes built after the floods, and each kind raises different questions when someone is weighing a stair lift.
Most local housing falls into a few types: single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A single straight flight in a two-story house or townhouse is usually the simplest job, since a straight rail runs from the bottom step to the top.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short runs of steps between levels, sometimes with a turn or landing, which can call for a curved rail or more than one straight unit. In a walk-up apartment or low-rise building, the stairs are often shared space, so the building owner needs to sign off before anything is mounted.
After Matthew and Florence, a good share of the county's homes are either older stock or replacement housing built after the flooding. In older houses, we check the stair treads and framing carefully, because the rail fastens to the steps and needs solid footing.
Not every barrier is inside. When the hard part is getting from the yard to the front door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a vertical platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, may solve the real problem. We look at the whole path into and through the home before suggesting a type.
Those two groups often overlap, and both have specific programs worth checking before paying out of pocket.
Roughly 49.2% of residents own their homes. That matters because most assistance programs are built for homeowners, and renters will usually need the landlord's written permission for any installation.
With about three out of four residents living outside urban areas, contractors and installers can be harder to line up away from the Lumberton area. Families in places like Raemon, Prospect or Barker Ten Mile should ask early about scheduling and follow-up service.
It helps to have the stair measurements, a few photos of the steps and the top and bottom landings, and any program paperwork ready before the first visit. That keeps a long drive from turning into a second trip.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, rules them out. Several do cover home modifications or accessibility work, so the right move is to call, describe the stairs and the medical need, and ask directly whether a stair lift can be approved.
For older adults, start with the Region N - Lumber River Council of Governments AAA at (910) 775-9781, 4721 Fayetteville Road, Lumberton 28358. Veterans can reach Robeson County Veterans Services at (910) 671-3071, 550 North Chestnut Street, Lumberton 28358. Statewide, the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1) may also be worth asking about for household budgeting.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and over with a physical disability or 65 and over with functional impairment who meet nursing-facility level of care; it covers equipment, technology and home modifications, but stair lifts are not named and items are approved through each person's plan of care. Apply through the Robeson County Department of Social Services or call (888) 245-0179.
Repair and modification help for homeowners 60 or older with low-to-moderate income who cannot pay for needed repairs, covering ramps, new steps, hand railings and grab bars; stair lifts are not named, funds are limited and a waiting list is in effect. Call (910) 775-9759 and ask whether a stair lift could be authorized as a safety modification.
A state program that funds local government and nonprofit partners to make accessibility modifications so elderly or special-needs, low-income homeowners can stay home after an injury or serious illness; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 877-5700 to find out whether a partner currently serves Robeson County.
A lifetime VA grant of $6,800 for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability or $2,000 for other eligible veterans, used for things like entrance ramps, roll-in showers and lowered counters. Stair lifts are not covered; the VA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Larger VA grants for veterans and servicemembers with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and Temporary Residence Adaptation up to $50,961 or $9,100. The source gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not mention stair lifts.
Older adults
4721 Fayetteville Road, Lumberton, 28358
Veterans
550 North Chestnut Street, Lumberton, 28358
The NC Medicaid CAP/DA waiver covers equipment, technology and home modifications, but stair lifts are not named and approval depends on the individual plan of care. Contact the Robeson County Department of Social Services or call (888) 245-0179 to ask.
The Lumber River Area Agency on Aging - Housing & Home Repair Program serves people 60 and older with low-to-moderate income. It covers ramps, steps, railings and grab bars, and you can call (910) 775-9759 to ask whether a stair lift could qualify. Funds are limited and there is a waiting list.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, and Robeson County Veterans Services at (910) 671-3071 can help sort out which applies.
Not always. Split-level homes often have short flights with turns or landings, which may call for a curved rail or separate straight units. The layout of each set of steps decides it.
Possibly, but stairs in walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are often shared, so the building owner must approve the installation first.
Yes, we work across the county's rural areas, where about 76.0% of residents live. Contractors can be harder to schedule outside Lumberton, so reach out early and have stair photos and measurements ready.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
