In Clintwood, Haysi and Clinchco, a lot of houses sit on narrow valley floors or cling to the side of a mountain. Dickenson County covers about 334 square miles of steep ground along the Pound, Cranesnest, Russell Fork and McClure rivers, and flat building land has always been hard to find here. That is why so many homes have long entry steps, a lower level built into the slope, or both.
Much of the housing goes back to the county's coal-camp beginnings in the early 1900s. These are modest, older single-family homes, and many have never been modernized. For a family trying to keep a parent at home, adding a stair lift to the house you already have is usually far more realistic than building or buying something new.
Because so many lots here are sloped, homes in the county are often multi-level. Split-level homes have short flights between floors, and ranch-style homes built into a hill may still have a basement stair or a long run of steps up from the road. Each of those calls for a different kind of lift.
A straight stair lift fits a single flight with no turns or landings. If the stairs bend, stop at a landing, or change direction partway, a curved lift built to match that staircase is the usual answer. When a split-level has more than one short flight in daily use, we look at which ones actually matter for the person's routine before recommending anything.
In a county where houses sit above or below the road, the hardest stairs are often outside. Long or steep entry stairs are common here, and they can keep someone indoors even when the inside of the house is manageable.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather and can run along an exterior stair. Where a wheelchair needs to come along, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We measure the full run, the landings at the top and bottom, and the ground around the steps before suggesting either one.
About 31.7% of residents are 65 or older, and about 62.1% are homeowners. That combination matters: owners can approve modifications to their own homes, and many of the funding programs below require that you own the house.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA programs and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services office in Big Stone Gap are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
Incomes here run well below the state as a whole. The median household income is $47,254 compared with Virginia's $93,170, and the poverty rate is 17.3% against 9.9% statewide. Low-cost and no-cost help is not a side issue for many families, so it is worth checking before you buy.
Of the programs listed below, the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants are the one whose source names chairlifts directly, with grants up to $10,000 that do not have to be repaid. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Several others, such as EHARP and USDA Section 504, fund accessibility repairs but do not name stair lifts, so ask them directly whether a lift would qualify.
Statewide, you may also hear about the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA). The Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens at (276) 964-4915 is a good first call to sort out which routes fit your situation.
The area agency on aging for Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties, serving adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities. Its source does not mention stair lifts, but it can point you toward current programs; call (276) 964-4915.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or younger with a qualifying disability, who meet nursing-facility level of care; it includes an Environmental Modification service, but the source does not list stair lifts. Call (833) 522-5582.
A VA grant for medically necessary structural home changes, with a $6,800 lifetime cap for service-connected disabilities (or a 50%+ rating) and $2,000 for other eligible disabilities. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The source names ramps and wider doorways but does not itemize stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A center for independent living in Grundy serving people with disabilities in Dickenson, Buchanan, Tazewell and Russell counties. Its source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (276) 935-6088 to ask what it offers.
Home rehabilitation loans and grants for very-low-to-moderate income homeowners in Dickenson and nearby counties. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (276) 619-2201 for current terms.
Grants up to $10,000 with no repayment, and chairlifts are named as a covered modification; Granting Freedom serves veterans at or below 80% AMI, the others serve households at or below 60% AMI. Applications go through an approved Virginia Housing agent; call (877) 843-2123.
Up to $4,000 per applicant for households at or below 80% of area median income, first-come, first-served through local administrators. It covers wheelchair ramps and other accessibility modifications, but stair lifts are not named; call (804) 371-7000.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Dickenson County qualifies as rural, but stair lifts are not listed among covered repairs; call (804) 287-1500.
Older adults
216 College Ridge Road, Tazewell, 24609
Veterans
322 Cloverleaf Square, Suite E‑1, Big Stone Gap, 24219
The Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens serves adults 60 and older but also adults with disabilities. Clinch Independent Living Services serves residents with a disability in Dickenson County, and the CCC Plus waiver covers people under 65 with a qualifying disability who meet nursing-facility level of care.
No. The HISA source specifically lists stair glides among excluded items. A veteran may want to look at the Virginia Housing Granting Freedom grant instead, which names chairlifts and serves veterans at or below 80% AMI.
The Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants list chairlifts as a covered modification, with grants up to $10,000 that do not need to be repaid. You apply through an approved Virginia Housing agent; the number is (877) 843-2123.
Yes, the county qualifies as rural. Grants require the homeowner to be 62 or older, very low income and unable to repay a loan, and stair lifts are not named in the listed repairs, so ask USDA at (804) 287-1500 before counting on it.
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services office is at 322 Cloverleaf Square, Suite E‑1, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219. You can reach it at (276) 523-1411.
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior stairs, and a platform lift can be an option if a wheelchair needs to come along. We measure the whole run of steps and the landings 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.
