Greenwood County grew up around its mills. The Greenwood Cotton Mill (1890), Grendel Mill (1896), Ninety Six Cotton Mill (1902) and Panola Mill (1910) each drew a village of houses around them, and Ware Shoals was built as a model industrial village. Many of those older two-story homes are still standing in Greenwood, Ninety Six, Ware Shoals, Cokesbury and Bradley.
In a lot of these houses, one interior staircase is the only way up to the bedrooms and the bathroom. That layout works fine for decades, then one day the stairs become the hardest part of the house. A stair lift is often the simplest way to keep using the whole home instead of moving out of it.
Mill-village and small-town Piedmont homes tend to have a single staircase between floors. When that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail stair lift is usually the quickest and least costly fit. If it turns at a landing or winds, the rail has to be custom bent, which is a curved stair lift.
Split-level homes are a different case. They often have short flights of a few steps between levels, and you may need a lift on more than one flight, or a platform lift where a wheelchair is involved. We measure each run before recommending anything.
Townhouses usually have a straight interior flight, which suits a standard lift. Walk-up apartments have shared stairways, so the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted to the steps.
About 49.6% of households here own their homes, so roughly half are renting. Renters can still get a stair lift with landlord approval, and some help, like the VA HISA benefit, is open to renters as well as owners. Many grant programs, though, require that you own and live in the home.
The county covers 456 square miles of lower Piedmont, southwest of the Saluda River, with Lake Greenwood formed in 1940 by Buzzards' Roost Dam. Outside the City of Greenwood, case workers, VA representatives and contractors often drive longer rural routes. If you live out in the county, plan ahead when booking in-home assessments, because those visits can take longer to schedule.
The best local first stop is the Greenwood County Veterans Affairs office at 106 Main Street N in Greenwood, (864) 450-9268. Hours are Monday through Thursday 9 to 5 and Friday 9 to 4.
Be aware of how the VA grants treat stair lifts. The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants describe modifications like ramps and wider doorways and do not name stair lifts, so ask the service officer how they apply to your situation before you count on them.
For older adults, start with the Upper Savannah AAA office at 430 Helix Road in Greenwood, (864) 941-8069. Upper Savannah Council of Governments is the designated Area Agency on Aging for the county and offers Home Safety services, though its materials do not say whether stair lifts are included.
Low-income homeowners can also call Greenwood Community Home Repair, which makes interest-free loans for repair materials. Medicaid's Community Choices Waiver and USDA Section 504 loans and grants cover some home modifications, but none of these sources name stair lifts, so ask directly.
Other statewide programs worth asking about include the South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program, the SC Housing Trust Fund Home Repair Program and the South Carolina Homestead Exemption (Property-Tax Relief). The full list of programs with phone numbers is below.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home, or up to $50,961 for a temporary residence, for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA describes ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not mentioned.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the home can be owned by a family member. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program description.
A lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically needed home changes, open to homeowners and renters enrolled in VA health care. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
This office helps veterans, dependents and surviving spouses file VA claims and applications; it does not pay for equipment itself, and its listed services do not mention stair lifts. Call (864) 450-9268.
A Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing facility level of care, with 2026 limits of $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant. Its listed home modifications are ramps, bathroom changes and electrical work, not stair lifts; call (888) 549-0820.
Limited home repairs and home devices for people 60 and older with limits in at least two daily activities, delivered through Upper Savannah Council of Governments. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 868-9095.
The Area Agency on Aging for Greenwood County, offering Home Safety, Home Care, Respite Care and other services, most after a yearly in-person assessment. Its description does not say whether stair lifts are covered; call (864) 941-8075.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very low income owners 62 and older in eligible rural areas. Accessibility work like ramps is an eligible use, but stair lifts are not named; use the state office locator at rd.usda.gov/browse-state.
This fund gives grants only to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, not to individuals, so you cannot apply yourself. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 868-9095 for details.
A local nonprofit that lends low-income Greenwood County homeowners interest-free money for repair materials, with work like wheelchair ramps and handrails. Stair lifts are not listed among its services; call (864) 223-9399.
A Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities in Greenwood County, with an Assistive Technology program. It does not say whether it funds stair lifts or home modifications; call (864) 235-1421.
Older adults
430 Helix Road, Greenwood, 29646
Veterans
106 Main Street N, Greenwood, 29646
Usually, yes. These homes often have one interior staircase to the second floor, and a straight flight takes a straight rail lift. Stairs that turn need a curved rail, which we confirm by measuring at the house.
The SC Department on Aging minor home repair help starts at age 60, but ABLE South Carolina lists no age limit and serves people with disabilities in Greenwood County. Medicaid's Community Choices Waiver is based on level of care and finances rather than a stated age.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so talk with the Greenwood County Veterans Affairs office at (864) 450-9268 about your case.
You will need your landlord's permission, especially in a walk-up apartment with shared stairs. For veterans, the HISA benefit is open to renters, though it does not cover stair lifts, and the USDA 504 program requires that you own the home.
For an older parent, start with the Upper Savannah AAA in Greenwood at (864) 941-8069. Because home visits outside the City of Greenwood can involve longer rural drives, ask early about assessment scheduling.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
