Mahoning County grew up around steel. Many houses in Youngstown, Struthers, Campbell and Lowellville went up during the early-to-mid 20th century boom along the Mahoning River, and most of them are two-story homes where the bedrooms and the only full bath sit at the top of the stairs.
Those same homes are now owned by people who want to stay in them. This page covers how a stair lift fits the kinds of houses found from Austintown and Canfield out to Sebring, Damascus and Lake Milton, and which local and federal programs may help with the cost.
The 2020 Census counted 107,989 housing units in Mahoning County, and 68.3% of them were owner-occupied. A large share of that stock is the classic Rust Belt two-story house, with one staircase running from the front hall or living room up to the bedrooms.
When that staircase runs in a single straight line with no turns, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so older plaster walls are left alone.
Many older homes also have a basement staircase to the laundry. That is a separate run, and it gets measured on its own.
Some homes built in this era have a staircase that turns at a landing partway up. Townhouses and row houses in the county often have tight, narrow stairs with a turn near the top.
A turn means a curved rail, which is custom-built to that exact staircase. It takes longer to make than a straight rail, so an early measurement helps keep the wait shorter.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise a different question: who owns the stairs. In a shared stairwell, the building owner has to agree before anything is installed.
Most of the county's people live in urban areas, 84.4% versus 15.6% rural, and many homes in town have front steps up to a porch. A stair lift indoors does little good if the person can't get in the front door.
For outside steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a vertical platform lift are the usual choices. Which one fits depends on the number of steps, the space beside them, and how the person gets around, such as with a walker or a wheelchair.
For many families, the stairs become the first real problem in a house that otherwise still works fine.
Direction Home Eastern Ohio (AAA 11) at 2801 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44507 is the area agency on aging. Their main line is (330) 505-2262. Veterans can also reach the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission at 345 Oak Hill Avenue, Entrance A, Suite #100, Youngstown, OH 44502, phone (330) 740-2450.
Median household income in the county was $40,123, so many homeowners look for help before paying out of pocket. The two programs whose sources list home modification as a covered service are PASSPORT for people 60 and older and the Ohio Home Care Waiver for people 59 and younger. Both run through Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300.
For low-income homeowners, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation received Ohio Housing Trust Fund money for emergency repairs and handicapped accessibility modifications. Veterans have VA grants, but note that the HISA grant explicitly does not pay for stair glides. Details for each program are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver for people age 60 or older who need help with daily tasks and meet low-income waiver rules; home modification is listed as a covered service, delivered through an individual care plan. Start with a phone screening at Direction Home of Eastern Ohio, (330) 505-2300, though there can be a waitlist.
The under-60 counterpart to PASSPORT for adults age 59 or younger with significant care needs and low household income; home modification is listed as a covered service. Call (330) 505-2300 and confirm the exact scope with your care manager after enrollment.
A Medicaid waiver for eligible adults living in an approved assisted living facility; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Questions go to (330) 505-2300.
Coordinated care for Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana county residents who have both Medicare and Medicaid; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Ask Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300 what your specific plan offers.
Levy-funded care management for Mahoning County residents age 60 or older, separate from the waiver programs; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (330) 505-2300.
State-funded grants through YNDC for emergency home repairs and handicapped accessibility modifications for owner-occupants at or below 50% of area median income; stair lifts are not named, but it is worth asking about stair-related accessibility work. Call (330) 480-0423.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Mahoning, Ashtabula, Columbiana and Trumbull counties with referrals, advocacy and skills training; it is not a funding source and does not list a stair lift program. Call (330) 372-3325 for help finding the right program.
A VA health benefit for medically needed home changes like entrances and bathrooms, with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum depending on disability status; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own, or up to $50,961 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation; the VA source does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, or up to $9,100 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2801 Market St., Youngstown, 44507
Veterans
345 Oak Hill Avenue, Entrance A, Suite #100, Youngstown, 44502
Yes, possibly. The Ohio Home Care Waiver serves people age 59 or younger who need help with daily tasks and meet Medicaid-waiver income rules, and it lists home modification as a covered service. Call Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300.
No. The VA's HISA page explicitly excludes removable equipment such as porch lifts and stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants describe adaptations only in general terms, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission at (330) 740-2450.
It begins with a phone screening and then a free in-home assessment through Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300. PASSPORT is not an entitlement, so there may be a waitlist.
Usually, yes. A staircase with a turn needs a curved rail built to that exact staircase, which takes longer than a straight rail. Getting it measured early is the best first step.
The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation received state funds for emergency repairs and handicapped accessibility modifications for owner-occupants at or below 50% of area median income. Call them at (330) 480-0423 and ask about stair-related accessibility work.
In a shared stairwell, the building owner has to approve the installation first. Talk with your landlord before scheduling a measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
