Howard County covers about 901 square miles where the Llano Estacado meets the Edwards Plateau, with Big Spring sitting at 2,441 feet and Beals Creek running through the middle of town. Around it are Coahoma, Sand Springs and Forsan. The homes range from older in-town houses to single-story ranch-style places on rural acreage.
That mix matters when someone starts having trouble with stairs. A lift that suits a split-level near downtown Big Spring is a different job from getting a parent up the entry steps of a ranch home outside Forsan. This page walks through how local houses line up with lift types, what to expect on scheduling out here, and which programs may help pay.
Big Spring was founded in 1882 and incorporated in 1907. The 2020 census counted 9,965 housing units in the city. Older in-town neighborhoods date from its early-to-mid-20th-century growth, and some of those homes have more than one level.
Later subdivisions and the rural land around the towns lean toward single-story ranch-style homes. You will also find split-level homes, detached houses and some low-rise buildings across the county. Each of these puts the stairs in a different place, so the first step is always looking at where the climb actually is.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest rail to measure and install. Many older multi-level homes in Big Spring fall into this group if the main flight runs in one line.
Split-level homes often have short flights with a landing or a turn between them. That usually means either a curved rail custom-made for the stairs or separate straight lifts on each flight. We measure both options before recommending one.
In a one-story ranch home, the problem is often the steps outside, not inside. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on porch or entry steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair.
Howard County is part of the sparsely populated Permian Basin. Stair lift sales, installation and service technicians typically travel in from the Midland-Odessa area rather than being based in Big Spring. Midland is 40 miles west on I-20.
In practice, that can mean longer lead times for a measurement, the install and later service visits. If a hospital discharge or a planned surgery is coming up, start the conversation early so the lift is in before it is needed. A curved rail adds time because it is made to fit your specific staircase.
Most help in this area comes through a few state, federal and nonprofit programs, and only one of them names stair lifts outright. The USDA Section 504 repair program lists stairlifts among covered modifications, according to the secondary source on file, so it is worth checking first if you own a home in a USDA-designated rural area.
Be aware that the VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, which are the same equipment as stair lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, and the Texas Veterans Commission Midland Office at (432) 688-4879 can help sort out what applies.
For residents 60 and older, the Permian Basin AAA office in Odessa, (432) 563-1061, is a good place to ask about care coordination. Medicaid waivers and the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program cover home modifications in general, but stair lifts are not named on their pages, so ask directly before counting on them. Each program is summarized below.
A statewide Medicaid managed-care waiver for people 21 or older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with countable assets capped at $2,000; it funds minor home modifications and adaptive aids per care plan, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (877) 782-6440 or ask your MCO service coordinator.
Case management for people 60 and older, or their caregivers, who had a hospitalization or health crisis in the past 30 days and have significant economic or social need; case managers help with minor home modifications, but stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 491-4636.
A one-time grant up to $22,500 for renters or homeowners with a household member who has a disability and income at or below 80% of AMFI; listed work includes ramps, handrails and door widening, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (512) 936-7799.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, usable up to 6 times over a lifetime; examples include ramps and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not listed.
A lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for enrolled VA health-care patients with a medically necessary accessibility need. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in USDA-designated rural areas, per a secondary source; stairlifts are named as a covered modification. Confirm figures with USDA before applying.
An Odessa nonprofit offering independent-living skills, advocacy, equipment support and referrals for people with disabilities in a Permian Basin service area that includes Howard County; stair lifts are not listed as a covered service. Call (432) 580-3439.
Older adults
2514 Kermit Highway, Odessa, 79764
Veterans
2110 N A Street, Midland, 79705
Yes, but technicians typically travel in from the Midland-Odessa area, and Midland is 40 miles west on I-20. Plan for longer lead times on measuring, installing and service, and start early if a hospital discharge is coming up.
The VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, which are stair lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so call the Texas Veterans Commission Midland Office at (432) 688-4879 to talk through your situation.
The USDA Section 504 repair program lists stairlifts for multi-story homes as a covered modification, according to the secondary source on file. You must own and live in the home in a USDA-designated rural area and meet income and asset limits, and grants require age 62 or older.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program has no age requirement; it requires a household member with a disability and income at or below 80% of AMFI. STAR+PLUS starts at age 21, and ABLE Center for Independent Living at (432) 580-3439 serves people with disabilities in Howard County.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program accepts both renters and homeowners. Most other programs on this page require owning the home, so renters should start with AYBR at (512) 936-7799.
Not always. If the flights are short with a landing between them, the choice is usually a curved rail or a separate straight lift on each flight, and we measure both before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
