Montgomery County covers 464 square miles of the Miami Valley, from Dayton and Kettering out to Brookville, Germantown, Farmersville and Phillipsburg. More than 127,000 of its homes went up during the 1950s building boom alone, and Dayton still has ten historic neighborhoods of mostly single-family Craftsman, Queen Anne and other early-to-mid 20th century houses.
A lot of those houses were built two stories tall, with the bedrooms and the only full bath upstairs. For someone who has lived in the same Oakwood, Riverside or Huber Heights house for decades, the staircase is often the first thing that makes staying home hard. This page walks through which kind of stair lift fits the homes found across the county's 22 towns and which local programs may help with the cost.
The Craftsman and Queen Anne houses in Dayton's historic neighborhoods often have one long flight of stairs, sometimes with a landing or a turn near the top. A straight staircase with no turns can usually take a straight rail stair lift, which is the simplest and quickest kind to install.
If the stairs turn at a landing or curve, a straight rail will not work. In that case you need a curved stair lift, where the rail is made to follow the exact shape of your staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one, because older staircases are rarely as square as they look.
Split-level homes are common in the county's postwar neighborhoods, and they bring their own puzzle: several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes only the flight to the bedrooms matters, and a short straight lift handles it. Other times a person needs to reach two levels, which can mean two lifts or one curved rail.
Townhouses usually have a straight, narrow staircase, which tends to suit a straight lift well. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted. It helps to ask early.
Dayton averages about 23.3 inches of snow a year, and ice on porch steps and entryways is a real hazard every winter. For many people the front or back steps are harder than the indoor staircase.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit, since the person stays seated in the chair. We look at the entry steps on the same visit as the indoor stairs.
The county is home to 440,882 people, and 17.6% are 65 or older. About 60.5% of residents own their homes, which matters because most stair lift funding programs require the person to own the house or have the owner's approval.
Those are listed below.
Cost is a real concern in a county where the median household income was $43,965 and the poverty rate was 15.7% in the 2010 era figures. The good news is that several local and state programs fund home modifications or accessibility repairs.
PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver for older adults, lists home modifications as a covered benefit. County Corp runs two repair tracks with grants up to $10,000, and Miami Valley Community Action Partnership and Rebuilding Together Dayton both do accessibility work for income-qualified homeowners. Most of these sources do not name stair lifts specifically, so ask each one directly whether a stair lift counts. Other statewide options include the Ohio Home Care Waiver, Ohio HOME Choice (Money Follows the Person) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
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; home modifications are a covered benefit, and the 2026 limits are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant. Call (937) 223-4357.
No-fee or sliding-scale services for Montgomery County residents 60 and older, including home repair and the ComCare program; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (937) 223-4357.
Grants of up to $10,000 for repairs and accessibility modifications: the CDBG track serves households at or below 80% of Area Median Income outside Dayton and Kettering, and the ODOD track serves households at or below 50% countywide. Stair lifts are not named, so ask County Corp at (937) 225-6328.
Home repairs, including accessibility modifications, for homeowners who have lived in the home at least one year, earn at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, are current on property taxes and carry homeowners' insurance; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (937) 341-5000.
A nonprofit that does critical repairs and accessibility modifications, such as handrails and grab bars, for low-income Montgomery County senior homeowners. Stair lifts are not named, and no phone number is listed in our source.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) to adapt a veteran's permanent home, or up to $50,961 at a family member's home, for certain serious service-connected disabilities; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) toward a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
Case-by-case help for veterans and their families who have lived in the county at least 3 months, with a $25,000 lifetime limit covering burial, necessities of life and transportation; home modifications are not mentioned. Call (937) 225-4801.
A nonprofit offering disability services and advocacy, not cash grants, to people in Montgomery and eight nearby counties; the source does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (937) 341-5202.
Older adults
40 W. Second Street, Suite 400, Dayton, 45402
Veterans
627 Edwin C. Moses Blvd., 4th Floor, East Medical Plaza, Dayton, 45417
PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver for older adults, covers home modifications as a benefit category. Its materials do not say "stair lift" by name, so confirm with the Area Agency on Aging at (937) 223-4357 whether your assessment can include one.
PASSPORT accepts people 60 to 64 if they have a physical disability. The Area Agency on Aging's Older Americans Act services start at age 60, and County Corp and Miami Valley Community Action Partnership qualify people by income rather than age.
The CDBG track excludes homes inside Dayton and Kettering city limits. The ODOD track is countywide, including Dayton, for households at or below 50% of Area Median Income. Both cap grants at $10,000; call County Corp at (937) 225-6328.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, which matters with about 23.3 inches of snow a year in Dayton. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may fit better.
It depends on how many levels the person must reach. One short flight may need just a straight lift, while reaching two levels can take two lifts or one curved rail.
Call the VA at (800) 827-1000 about the SAH and SHA grants, and the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission at (937) 225-4801 at 627 Edwin C. Moses Blvd. in Dayton about local assistance.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
