Linn County stretches across 2,309 square miles of Oregon's Willamette Valley, with 18 towns ranging from Albany and Lebanon to small places like Crawfordsville, Sodaville and Holley. About a third of residents, 34.2%, live in rural areas, so a stair lift job here might be in a townhouse near downtown Albany or a detached house well outside city limits.
The 2020 Census counted 51,921 housing units in the county, and 66.1% were owner-occupied. Many of those owners have been in their homes a long time. When the stairs get hard, a stair lift often makes more sense than selling and hunting for a single-level house.
Most homes we see here fall into a few types: single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Each one points toward a different kind of lift.
A single run of stairs with no turns takes a straight stair lift. These are the simplest to fit and usually go in quickest. Townhouses often have stairs that turn at a landing, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings add a question of permission. If you rent or share a stairwell, the owner or building manager has to agree before anything is bolted to the stairs.
With 34.2% of residents living in rural areas, plenty of Linn County homes sit outside town in places like Scio, Lyons, Crabtree or Lacomb. A rural house may have porch or entry steps that are as much of a barrier as the inside staircase.
For outside steps, an outdoor stair lift is built to handle the weather. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift can carry the chair itself. We look at the whole route from the driveway to the bedroom before recommending anything.
Per the 2020 Census, 19.9% of Linn County residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 40.4. That is a large group of people deciding whether to stay in a two-story home.
That matters because VA grants follow their own rules on stair lifts, which we cover below. The Linn County Veteran Services Office in Albany can be reached at (541) 967-3882.
No single program here names stair lifts as a covered item, so it helps to know where each one stands. Oregon Project Independence - Medicaid lists home modifications as a covered category, which makes it the first call for people on the Oregon Health Plan.
For rural homeowners with very low income, the USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and, for those 62 or older, grants. Much of the county outside the Albany urban area counts as rural for USDA purposes. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
If you are not sure where to start, the Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at (855) 673-2372 can talk through your situation. Oregon Cascades West COG - Senior & Disability Services is at 1400 Queen Ave SE, Suite 206, Albany, 97321, phone (541) 967-8630.
In-home support for Oregon Health Plan eligible seniors and adults with disabilities in Linn, Benton or Lincoln County, with home modifications listed as a covered category, though stair lifts are not named. Call (541) 967-8630.
A free information and referral service that connects seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers to resources; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (855) 673-2372.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, but it does not pay for stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded. The Linn County Veteran Services Office is at (541) 967-3882.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the source describes ramps and widened doorways and does not mention stair lifts.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older in USDA-eligible rural areas, up to $50,000 combined; the source discusses accessibility broadly but does not mention stair lifts. Call (503) 414-3300.
A nonprofit home repair loan for low- and moderate-income homeowners in Linn, Benton or Lincoln County that is currently not accepting new applications, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (541) 752-7220.
Older adults
1400 Queen Ave SE, Suite 206, Albany, 97321
Veterans
505 SW Ellsworth St, Albany, 97321
Oregon Project Independence - Medicaid lists home modifications as a covered category for eligible seniors and adults with disabilities in Linn County. It does not name stair lifts, so ask about your case when you call (541) 967-8630.
The HISA grant excludes stair glides, so it will not. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either. The Linn County Veteran Services Office at (541) 967-3882 can help you review your options.
Much of Linn County outside the Albany urban area qualifies as rural for USDA purposes. The Section 504 program also requires very low income, and the grant portion requires the homeowner to be 62 or older. Call (503) 414-3300 to check.
Not right now. DevNW has said it is not accepting new applications because all funds have been allocated. You can call (541) 752-7220 to ask about future openings.
Yes. Stairs with a turn need a curved stair lift, which uses a rail shaped to your staircase. It takes measuring on site before it can be built.
The Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon offers free options counseling at (855) 673-2372. Locally, Oregon Cascades West COG - Senior & Disability Services in Albany is at (541) 967-8630.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
