Pomeroy is the only incorporated city in Garfield County, and its 713 housing units include some of the oldest building stock in southeastern Washington. After the 1900 fire, a 10-block stretch of downtown was rebuilt in brick, and that area is now the Downtown Pomeroy Historic District. Out past town, homes sit on farmsteads spread across Palouse farm country, not in subdivisions.
Many of these houses went up long before anyone built for single-story living. Raised entries, upstairs bedrooms and steps to the porch are part of daily life here. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift in your home, and which programs may help with the cost.
Single-family and ranch-style homes with one straight flight to a second floor or basement are usually the simplest fit. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in older houses are normally left alone.
Split-level homes are different. Several short flights with landings often call for a curved rail built to your exact stairs, which takes measuring and more lead time.
Raised-entry farmhouses often have the hardest steps outside, from the yard to the door. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those steps. If you live in a walk-up apartment or a low-rise building, talk with the owner before any install, since the rail attaches to shared stairs.
Garfield County covers 711 square miles, and Pomeroy sits in hilly terrain between the Blue Mountains and the Palouse, with U.S. Route 12 crossing Alpowa Summit nearby. It is Washington's least populous and least densely populated county.
That matters for scheduling. Mobility-equipment installers are based well outside the county, so each visit adds travel time. It helps to have stair measurements, photos and any funding paperwork ready before the first appointment, so the measure and the install can be planned with as few trips as possible.
About 31.2% of Garfield County residents are 65 or older, and 77.2% own their homes. Ownership matters, because most of the repair and loan programs below require that you own and live in the house.
Veterans can reach Garfield County Veterans Resources at 789 W. Main St., Pomeroy, by calling (509) 843-1391, before applying for any VA housing grant.
Median household income here is $64,884 and the poverty rate is 12%, so many households look for a grant or loan before paying full price. Only one program below, the Northwest Access Fund loan, names stair lifts as an eligible use. The others either do not mention them or, in the case of the VA HISA grant, exclude them.
A good first call is the ALTC Garfield County office in Pomeroy at (509) 843-3563. Staff there do options counseling and can point you toward COPES. The regional ALTC Southeast Washington office in Kennewick is at (509) 735-0315.
Washington also lists Community First Choice (CFC) and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption among its statewide programs. Ask the ALTC office whether either applies to your situation.
A state Medicaid waiver for aged, blind or disabled residents who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial limits. It lists environmental modifications as a service, but the rule does not name stair lifts, so call (855) 567-0252 to ask.
The local aging office at 695 Main Street in Pomeroy offers options counseling and case management for adults 60+ and people with disabilities, and refers people to COPES. It does not list a stair lift fund itself; call (509) 843-3563.
A home-repair grant with no repayment for owner-occupants at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, with priority for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans. Stair lifts are not named, so call (509) 529-4980 to confirm whether an install would qualify.
An advocacy and referral service for residents of nursing homes, assisted living and adult family homes and their families. It does not fund stair lifts or mention home modifications; reach it at (509) 520-5162.
A low-interest loan of up to $60,000 over up to a 10-year term for people with disabilities, including seniors with age-related limitations, and it explicitly lists stair lift installation. There is no fixed income cutoff; call (206) 328-5116.
A VA grant for medically necessary home modifications, with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum depending on disability type. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA does not name stair lifts among covered changes, so confirm with the VA case by case.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to remove health and safety hazards or modernize a home. Stair lifts are not named on the source, and you should check your address with the USDA eligibility mapping tool.
Older adults
3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite D-100, Kennewick, 99336
Veterans
789 W. Main St., PO Box 278, Pomeroy, 99347
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not name stair lifts, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should confirm with the VA. Garfield County Veterans Resources can help at (509) 843-1391.
Yes. The Northwest Access Fund Home Modification Loan Program lists stair lift installation as eligible, with loans up to $60,000 and terms up to 10 years. It is a loan, so repayment is required. Call (206) 328-5116.
The ALTC Garfield County office at 695 Main Street in Pomeroy serves adults 60+ and people with disabilities. It offers options counseling and can refer you toward COPES. Call (509) 843-3563.
Blue Mountain Action Council runs a home repair grant for owner-occupants at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level in Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla counties. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (509) 529-4980 to ask whether yours would qualify. USDA Section 504 is another option to check for very-low-income rural homeowners.
Installers serving the county are based well outside it, so expect added travel time. Having your stair measurements, photos and funding details ready helps keep the number of trips down.
Raised entries are common on older farmstead homes here. Outdoor steps can often be handled with an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift, depending on the layout. An in-home assessment is the way to sort out which fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
