Chesapeake is an independent city, not a county, spread across roughly 353 square miles of the Tidewater coastal plain. The northern half is built up with suburban neighborhoods, while the southern half is farmland, forest and wetlands. A stair lift visit here can mean a split-level in a busy subdivision one morning and a farmhouse out past the fields that afternoon.
Most homes in the city went up after 1970, and many are two-story or split-level single-family houses. Those are the homes where the stairs tend to become a problem first. This page covers how Chesapeake houses affect the kind of lift you need and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
Single-family detached homes make up 67.4% of all housing units in Chesapeake. About 51.8% of homes date from 1970 to 1999, and another 29.0% were built in 2000 or later. Only about 19.2% predate 1970, and roughly 2.5% predate 1940.
That newer suburban stock is mostly two-story and split-level houses. A two-story home with one straight staircase is usually the simplest fit, since a straight rail can run the full flight. Split-level homes are different: short flights between levels, and sometimes a turn or landing, often call for a curved rail or more than one lift.
Townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are also part of the mix. In those, the staircase may be narrow or shared, and renters need the owner's permission before anything is mounted. We measure the stair width, the landings and the clearance at top and bottom before recommending a model.
Chesapeake was formed in 1963 when the city of South Norfolk merged with Norfolk County, which is why so much open land sits inside the city limits. Homes in the farmland and wetland areas of the south can be far apart, and some have steps up to the front or back door rather than an interior staircase.
For entry steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a vertical platform lift is often the better answer. We look at how many steps there are, what the ground is like at the bottom, and how the resident gets from the car to the door. Outdoor units are built to handle weather, which matters on the coastal plain.
About 14.1% of Chesapeake residents are 65 or older, and 73.8% of households own their homes. That combination means many people are aging in houses they own, which makes a stair lift a practical option compared with moving.
If that includes you or your parent, it is worth checking VA benefits, but read the VA program details below carefully, because not every VA grant pays for a stair lift.
Few programs pay for stair lifts directly, so it helps to know which ones name them. Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads lists interior chairlifts in its Home Repair Program for qualifying homeowners. For renters with a disability, the Virginia Housing RUAM grant lists chairlifts among the modifications it funds.
Chesapeake is generally not considered a rural-eligible area for USDA Rural Development housing-repair programs, so USDA Section 504 is usually not an option here. Low-income homeowners are more often directed to the CCC Plus Waiver, VA benefits, Virginia Housing and nonprofit programs.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA). Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia and the Endependence Center can help you sort out which routes fit your situation. Each program is summarized below.
This Medicaid waiver pays for environmental modifications up to $5,000 per individual per calendar year, but the regulation does not name stair lifts, so coverage is not listed. Enrolled Chesapeake residents apply through their managed care organization's care coordinator; the program line is (833) 522-5582.
SSSEVA is the Area Agency on Aging for Chesapeake, offering Options Counseling, caregiver support, in-home services and referrals for people generally 60 and older; it does not list a stair lift or home modification program. Call (757) 461-9481.
The city lists housing rehabilitation as an eligible activity for low- and moderate-income homeowners, but stair lifts are not listed. Call (757) 382-2489 to be routed to the Planning Department and confirm what is available this year.
A one-time grant of up to $10,000 per rental unit for renters with a disability at or below 60% of area median income, and it does cover chairlifts. Applications go through a Virginia Housing-accepted agent; call (877) 843-2123.
HISA pays for medically necessary home changes for veterans, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status, but it does not cover stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
These grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), help veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities adapt a home; stair lifts are not listed among the examples. Call (800) 827-1000.
This program makes repairs at no cost to qualifying Chesapeake homeowners with household income below $69,000, and it does install interior chairlifts. Call (757) 837-0081.
The Endependence Center keeps an updated list of home modification funding sources for renters and homeowners with disabilities and offers peer mentoring; it does not fund stair lifts directly, and they are not listed. Call (757) 461-8007.
Older adults
2551 Eltham Avenue, Suite Q, Norfolk, 23513
Veterans
293 Independence Boulevard, Pembroke 5, Suite 109, Virginia Beach, 23462
Usually, yes. Split-levels have short flights between levels, so the choice is often between a straight lift on one flight or a curved rail that follows a turn or landing. We measure each flight before recommending one.
The VA HISA grant specifically does not fund stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way. You can ask the Virginia Department of Veterans Services – Chesapeake Office at (757) 567-9351 or the VA at (800) 827-1000 about your situation.
Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads installs interior chairlifts for homeowners with household income below $69,000 who have lived in the home at least 2 years and agree to stay at least 60 months after the repairs. Call (757) 837-0081 to apply.
Chesapeake is generally not considered a rural-eligible area for USDA Rural Development housing-repair programs, even with farmland in the south. That is why most residents look at the CCC Plus Waiver, VA benefits, Virginia Housing and nonprofit options instead.
Renters with a disability and income at or below 60% of area median income may qualify for the Virginia Housing RUAM grant of up to $10,000, which covers chairlifts. You will need your landlord's permission, and you apply through a Virginia Housing-accepted agent. Call (877) 843-2123.
Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia at (757) 461-9481 is the Area Agency on Aging for Chesapeake and can talk through options for people generally 60 and older. For disability-related housing resources, the Endependence Center is at (757) 461-8007.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
