Corsicana grew up fast after oil was found there in June 1894, and a lot of the county's older houses and buildings still show it. Raised entries, porches with steps and multi-level layouts are common in the older neighborhoods around the county seat, and those features decide what kind of stair lift makes sense.
Beyond Corsicana, Navarro County spreads across about 1,068 square miles of level-to-rolling blacklands, with 15 towns including Kerens, Dawson, Rice, Frost, Blooming Grove and Richland. This page walks through how local homes fit different stair lifts and which programs may help a family cover the cost.
Many of the county's turn-of-the-century homes sit up off the ground, so the first problem is often getting from the yard to the front door. A porch with a few steps can usually take an outdoor stair lift, which is built to sit outside year-round.
Inside, a straight staircase between floors is the simplest case and usually the quickest to install. Stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail made to fit that exact staircase, which takes longer to build.
We look at the porch, the entry and every flight the person uses daily before recommending anything. Sometimes the front steps matter more than the indoor stairs.
Split-level homes often have several short flights instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the flights connect, so we measure each one separately.
Townhouses and duplexes tend to have a single straight interior staircase, which is a good fit for a standard straight lift. In low-rise buildings with shared stairwells, the building owner has to approve any equipment, and a platform lift may be the better choice where a wheelchair is involved.
About 59.8 percent of households in the county own their homes. If you rent, talk with your landlord early, since some funding programs also require the owner's written approval.
Much of the county lives in smaller communities like Angus, Mildred, Eureka, Barry and Goodlow rather than in Corsicana itself. That can mean longer travel times for installers and home-modification contractors, so it helps to plan the home visit and install dates together.
The county gets roughly 37.74 inches of rain a year. For an outdoor lift on a porch or deck, ask about weather covers and where the power supply will sit so it stays dry.
Out of about 34,705 residents, 14.9 percent are 65 or older, and many are staying in homes they have lived in for years. Adult children often start the search after a parent has trouble with the stairs to a bedroom or the front porch.
The county's Veteran Services office in Corsicana can help sort out which VA benefits apply, though the main VA home alteration grant does not pay for stair glides.
There is no single program here that simply pays for stair lifts. Friends of Man is the one resource below that clearly lists stair lifts, and it only accepts applications from a referring professional such as a caseworker or social worker.
The best first call is often the North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging at (800) 272-3921 or the Aging & Disability Resource Center at (855) 937-2372. They can help with Medicaid waiver enrollment, including the STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver and its minor home modifications benefit.
Rural homeowners with very low incomes can look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A Texas Medicaid waiver whose minor home modifications benefit has a lifetime limit of $7,500 per member, plus $300 per year for repairs once that limit is used. Stair lifts are not named on the approved list, so coverage depends on approval in the member's Individual Service Plan.
Serves adults 60+ and their caregivers in Navarro County with information and referral, options counseling, caregiver support and help with waiver enrollment. It does not list a stair lift fund; call (800) 272-3921.
A referral and benefits counseling service for older adults and adults with disabilities in Navarro County, with Spanish-language help available. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (855) 937-2372.
A volunteer-run charity that funds mobility equipment and home modifications, including stair lifts, case by case. A caseworker, healthcare worker, social worker, teacher or clergy member must apply on your behalf.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026). Stair lifts are not specifically listed, so ask the VA whether one fits an approved adaptation plan.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older in eligible rural areas with very low incomes. Accessibility changes are allowed in general, but stair lifts are not named; contact your local USDA Rural Development Service Center.
Older adults
616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, 76011
Veterans
601 N. 13th Street, Suite 7, Corsicana, 75110
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts by name, so ask about them only if the veteran has a qualifying severe service-connected disability. Veteran Services in Corsicana is at (903) 654-3017.
Start with the North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging at (800) 272-3921 or the Aging & Disability Resource Center at (855) 937-2372. Both serve Navarro County and can point you to waivers and other help.
No. The application has to come from a referring professional, such as a caseworker, case manager, healthcare worker, social worker or clergy member, on the person's behalf.
The Aging & Disability Resource Center also serves adults with disabilities, and the STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver covers adults with a qualifying disability who meet its financial and care criteria.
Possibly. USDA Section 504 loans and grants are for homeowners in eligible rural areas, checked through the USDA rural eligibility map. Grants are limited to applicants 62 or older who cannot repay a loan.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for porch and entry steps like those on many older Corsicana homes. We check the steps, the landing and the power source during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
