Hockley County spreads across 909 square miles of West Texas, with Levelland as the county seat and smaller communities like Sundown, Anton, Ropesville, Smyer and Opdyke West scattered among farm and ranch land. Many homes here date back to the farming boom of the 1920s and 1930s, when the county grew from 18 farms in 1920 to 1,344 by 1929.
That history left a lot of single-story houses on flat ground. So the question for most families here is less about a long staircase and more about the steps at the front door, the porch, or a split-level addition. This page walks through what those homes need and which programs may help pay for the work.
Most houses on the South Plains were built low and wide to suit the flat land. That means fewer full-flight interior staircases than you find in older multi-story homes elsewhere in Texas.
Steps still show up, though. Raised entries, porches and split-level additions are common trouble spots, and they are often the reason someone stops leaving the house as often as they used to.
For a short run of steps inside a split-level home, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. For steps at a porch or raised entry, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift is worth looking at, especially if a wheelchair or walker is part of the picture.
As of 2020, 58.5% of county residents lived in urban areas, mostly Levelland, and 41.5% lived in rural areas. If your parent lives on a farm or ranch outside town, plan for that in the schedule.
Many accessibility installers and home-modification contractors serve this area out of Lubbock, so travel time to a rural address can be longer. It helps to have measurements, photos of the steps and the funding paperwork ready before the first visit so the job takes fewer trips.
The county's housing mix also includes townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. If the stairs are shared or the home is rented, talk with the owner or building manager before choosing a lift.
Out of a population of 16,304, about 14.1% of residents are 65 or older. Roughly 69.8% are homeowners, which matters because some repair programs below are limited to people who own their home.
VA benefits can help with some home changes, but one of the main VA grants specifically excludes stair glides, so read the program notes before counting on it.
Income from cotton farming and oil and gas work can come and go with the season or the market. That is one more reason to check grants and waivers before paying the full cost out of pocket.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts as a covered item in their source material, and the VA HISA grant rules them out. Still, several fund home modifications, minor repairs or medical equipment, and an eligibility worker can tell you what your plan allows.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is the South Plains Area Agency on Aging. The South Plains AAA office is at 1323 58th St., Lubbock, 79412, phone (806) 762-8721.
Veterans can start with Veterans Services at 802 Houston St., Ste. 109, Levelland, 79336, phone (806) 894-4264. Rural homeowners with very low income should also ask about the USDA Section 504 program, since eligibility is checked address by address.
A Texas HHSC Medicaid waiver for adults 21+ who meet a nursing-facility level of care, letting them get long-term services at home; minor home modifications are a payable service set by each member's service plan. Stair lifts are not listed in the source, so ask whether one can be included in your plan.
Helps seniors 60 and older in the 15-county South Plains region, including Hockley County, with minor residential repair (homeowners only) and medical equipment such as walkers and lift chairs; stair lifts are not listed. Call (806) 687-0940.
A referral and housing navigation service for older adults and people with disabilities in the South Plains region, not a direct grant, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (855) 937-2372 to be pointed toward funding options.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62+ who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Eligibility depends on your address, so Levelland and other Hockley County communities need to be checked individually.
A Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs grant of up to $22,500 for accessibility modifications in households with a person with a disability and income at or below 80% of AMFI, open to owners and tenants; stair lifts are not listed. It is not offered in every area, so confirm availability in Hockley County through TDHCA's Help For Texans provider search.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 (or $2,000 for other eligible non-service-connected disabilities) for medically needed structural changes; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover a stair lift. Call (800) 827-1000 about other uses.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 lifetime for FY2026; the source covers adaptations like ramps but does not list stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
1323 58th St., Lubbock, 79412
Veterans
802 Houston St., Ste. 109, Levelland, 79336
Maybe not inside, but many Hockley County homes have raised entries, porches or split-level additions. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle entry steps, and a straight lift can handle a short split-level run.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for certain severe service-connected disabilities but do not list stair lifts by name. Call (800) 827-1000 or Veterans Services in Levelland at (806) 894-4264 to ask.
The South Plains Area Agency on Aging program is for people 60 and older. The STAR+PLUS waiver serves adults 21+ who qualify for Medicaid and a nursing-facility level of care, and the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program serves households that include a person with a disability.
It can help with funding, since the USDA Section 504 program is for homeowners in eligible rural areas, checked by address. It can also mean longer travel time for Lubbock-based installers, so plan the visit and paperwork ahead.
For some programs, yes. Minor Residential Repair through the South Plains AAA and the USDA Section 504 program are for homeowners, while the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program and VA HISA allow renters to qualify.
For a senior 60 or older, call the South Plains AAA at (806) 762-8721 or the Care Coordination line at (806) 687-0940. The ADRC at (855) 937-2372 can also help sort out which program fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
