Springfield grew fast during its early-20th-century manufacturing boom, when International Harvester, Kelly Springfield Tire and Champion Farm Equipment were major employers. A lot of the houses built in that era are still standing, and many of them are two-story homes with the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. That layout works fine until the stairs become the hard part of the day.
Beyond the county seat, Clark County takes in 16 towns, from New Carlisle and Enon to South Charleston, Medway, South Vienna and Catawba. The homes range from detached houses and split-level homes to townhouses and walk-up apartments. Each of those layouts points to a different kind of stair lift, and this page walks through which fits where and how local programs can help with the cost.
The dense in-town neighborhoods built during Springfield's factory years often put every bedroom and the only full bath on the second floor. For someone who can no longer climb safely, that can mean living out of one room downstairs. A stair lift lets the whole house stay in use.
Many staircases in older homes run in a single straight flight, which is the simplest and usually the quickest install. Some turn at a landing or wind near the top, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure in the home before recommending either one.
A split-level home has short runs of stairs between floors, often several of them. Each run can be handled on its own, so we look at which levels the person actually needs to reach every day before planning anything.
Townhouses tend to have narrower stairways, so rail placement and how the seat folds out of the way matter for anyone else using the stairs. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, which means the building owner has to be part of the conversation before any equipment goes in.
Clark County has cold winters and hot summers, with a recorded range from -26°F to 103°F and 40.25 inches of precipitation in an average year. Ice and snow on front steps and entryways are a real fall risk, even though much of the county is fairly flat and built up.
When the trouble starts at the porch or a side entry, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift can carry the chair itself. Indoor models should not be used outside, so tell us where every set of steps is when you call.
About 19.0% of Clark County's 87,732 residents are 65 or older, and 60.2% of households own their homes. Owners are the ones most likely to stay put and adapt the house they have rather than move.
Veterans and their families have separate funding paths worth checking, listed in the programs below.
Two programs list home modifications as a covered benefit: Ohio's PASSPORT Medicaid waiver and the Home Modifications service at United Senior Services in Springfield. Approval for either is decided case by case, so call before you sign anything.
Several other local sources fund home repair or accessibility without naming stair lifts, including the Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield and the county's CDBG homeowner repair program. Veterans can ask the VA about its housing grants and about HISA and prosthetics benefits. The Area Agency on Aging PSA 2 in Dayton, at (937) 341-3000, is a good first call if you are not sure where to start.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60 to 64 with a physical disability, who need a nursing-home level of care but want to stay at home. Its benefits include home modifications, which is where a stair lift would be considered case by case; call (937) 223-4357.
No-fee or sliding-scale services for Clark County residents 60 and older, including home repair, personal care and caregiver support. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (937) 223-4357 to ask.
A Springfield nonprofit serving Clark County residents 55 and older that helps with living-environment changes for disabilities and wheelchair access, which can include stair lifts case by case. Call (937) 323-4948 and ask for Brett Halsey at extension 211.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both legs, to adapt a home they own or will own, plus up to $50,961 to adapt a family member's home. The VA source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain respiratory injuries, and up to $9,100 for a temporary residence adaptation. The source does not mention stair lifts.
Case-by-case emergency financial help for Clark County veterans and their families or dependents. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (937) 521-2030.
Home repair and rehabilitation funding for income-qualified, low-to-moderate-income homeowners, administered outside Springfield city limits. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (937) 521-2160.
Helps senior homeowners, city and county wide, make critical repairs to stay in their homes, with accessibility needs given as an example. Funding is limited and stair lifts are not named, so call (937) 322-4623 to ask.
A disability services and advocacy center that serves Clark County and nearby counties. It does not list stair lift or home modification funding but can help with referrals; call (937) 341-5202.
Older adults
40 W. Second Street, Suite 400, Dayton, 45402
Veterans
117 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield, 45502
The PASSPORT waiver lists home modifications as a benefit, and a stair lift would be reviewed under that category case by case. You must be 65 or older, or 60 to 64 with a physical disability, meet Medicaid financial limits and be assessed as needing a nursing-home level of care. Call (937) 223-4357.
Yes. United Senior Services serves Clark County residents 55 and older and offers home modifications. Call (937) 323-4948, extension 211.
The 2026 income limit is up to $2,982 per month for a single applicant. The asset limit is $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a couple who are both applying.
Yes. The Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield's Aging in Place Program is available city and county wide. The county CDBG homeowner repair program is administered outside Springfield city limits for income-qualified homeowners.
Often, yes, with an outdoor model built for weather. With Clark County winters bringing ice and snow to entryways, the outside steps are sometimes the first place a lift is needed. A platform lift is another option if a wheelchair is involved.
Contact the Veterans Service Commission of Clark County at 117 South Fountain Avenue in Springfield, (937) 521-2030. For the VA housing grants, call the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
