Hillsboro's county courthouse went up in 1905, and plenty of houses in Mayville, Hillsboro, Portland and Buxton date from that same early-20th-century era. Those older homes often have stairways that were never built with a lift in mind, which affects which kind of stair lift will fit.
Traill County spreads across about 862 square miles of the Red River Valley, with six towns: Mayville, Hillsboro, Hatton, Portland, Reynolds and Buxton. This page walks through how local homes shape the choice of lift and which offices to call about paying for one.
A house built in the early 1900s can have a narrow staircase, a tight turn or a landing partway up. A straight stair lift runs on a single rail and works when the stairs go top to bottom with no change in direction.
If the stairway turns or has a landing, a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is usually the answer. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one, because older stairways are rarely identical from house to house.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, and a person may need a lift on more than one of them. Sometimes a single short straight rail on the most-used flight solves most of the daily trouble.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairs. In a shared stairwell or a low-rise building, the owner or association usually has to approve an installation, so it helps to ask before scheduling a visit.
The land here is flat to rolling, sloping gently east and north toward the Red River. Even on level lots, many homes still have a few steps up to the front or back door.
For those steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is one option. Where a wheelchair is involved, a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a seat on a rail.
About 18.7% of Traill County residents are 65 or older, and roughly 66.3% of households own their homes. Owning the house matters, since most stair lift decisions and many grant programs depend on it.
The Traill County Veterans Service Office in Hillsboro, at (701) 636-4414, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply.
None of the programs below names stair lifts as a covered item, so the honest answer is to call and ask before counting on any of them. Most cover accessibility work in general, and the decision usually comes down to the person's needs and the program's rules.
The Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone in Hillsboro is the local door for Medicaid Waiver and SPED applications. Statewide, people also look at the ND Assistive - Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. The state Aging Services Division can be reached at (701) 328-8910.
A state grant for accessibility renovations for an occupant with a physical disability, with household income at or below 50% of county median income; listed examples include ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not mentioned either way. Call (701) 328-8080.
Pays for home modifications for people already found eligible for SPED, Ex-SPED or a Medicaid Waiver, capped at the lesser of the highest monthly North Dakota skilled-nursing-facility rate or 20% of the home's tax valuation; stair lifts are not named as covered or excluded. Apply through the Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone at (701) 636-5220.
The county intake and case-management office at 212 W Caledonia Ave, Hillsboro, where residents apply for Medicaid Waiver, SPED/Ex-SPED and other state aging and disability programs; it has no stair lift fund of its own. Call (701) 636-5220.
Serves residents age 60+ with senior centers in Hillsboro, Mayville, Portland and Buxton, Meals on Wheels, transportation and referral help; it does not list a home-modification or stair lift grant. Call (701) 636-5953.
Federal grants for major home changes for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 maximums of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; the program page does not say whether stair lifts are covered. The Traill County Veterans Service Office at (701) 636-4414 can help with an application.
A lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on the veteran's condition, for medically necessary home changes certified by a VA provider; the program page lists stair glides among its exclusions, so it should not be counted on for a stair lift.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
114 West Caledonia Avenue, Hillsboro, 58045
Often, yes. Older homes in the area tend to have narrow or turning stairways, so the stairs need to be measured in person to decide between a straight rail and a curved one.
Valley Senior Services serves Traill County residents age 60+ and runs senior centers in Hillsboro, Mayville, Portland and Buxton. They offer referrals rather than a stair lift grant. Call (701) 636-5953.
The official covered-items list does not name stair lifts as covered or excluded. The person must first qualify for SPED, Ex-SPED or a Medicaid Waiver, which includes having liquid assets at or below $50,000 not counting the home. Ask the Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone at (701) 636-5220.
The HISA program page lists stair glides among the items it excludes. A veteran with a severe service-connected disability may want to ask about the SAH or SHA grants instead, through the Traill County Veterans Service Office at (701) 636-4414.
The Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone at 212 W Caledonia Ave in Hillsboro handles applications for Medicaid, SPED and other state aging and disability programs.
It can, but if the stairs are shared or owned by someone else, the owner or association usually needs to approve it first. Check that before booking a home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
