Huntington was laid out in 1871 by Collis P. Huntington as a railroad and river town, and many of the houses in and around it still date from the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th century. Homes from that era were usually built on more than one floor, with the bedrooms and often the only full bathroom up an interior staircase.
Outside the city, Cabell County runs east through Pea Ridge, Barboursville, Culloden and Milton, and north along the Ohio River toward Lesage, with Appalachian foothills rising beyond the city core. This page covers what kinds of stair lifts tend to fit the homes here and which local and state programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying for one.
The 2020 census counted 46,125 housing units in Cabell County, and 13.5% of them were vacant. That points to an established housing base rather than a lot of new construction, so most people looking at a stair lift here are retrofitting an older home, not building one with a first-floor bedroom.
In a multi-story single-family home, the first thing we check is whether the main staircase is one straight run. A straight stair lift is the simplest and least expensive kind to install, and it mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall in most cases.
If the staircase turns at a landing or curves, a curved stair lift with a custom-built rail is usually the answer. Older homes sometimes have narrow stairs or tight turns, so we measure in person before recommending anything.
Split-level homes are common enough here that they deserve their own mention. Instead of one long staircase, they have several short flights between levels, and a person may need a lift on one or two of them depending on where they sleep, bathe and do laundry.
Duplexes and walk-up apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairs. If you rent, the property owner has to agree before anything is attached to the staircase, so it helps to have that conversation early.
Some homes in the foothills outside Huntington also have exterior steps up to the front or back door. An outdoor stair lift built for weather, or in some cases a vertical platform lift, can handle that part of the trip from the driveway into the house.
About 18.9% of Cabell County residents are 65 or older, and 56.1% of households own their home. Owners can generally decide on a stair lift themselves, while the rest will need a landlord's sign-off.
VA benefits can help with some home changes, but read the program details below closely, because one of the main VA grants specifically excludes stair glides.
Most of the programs that serve this county describe home modifications in general terms and do not list stair lifts by name. That does not rule them out, but it does mean you should call and ask directly before counting on the money.
A good first call is the Metro Area Agency on Aging, run by Cabell County Community Services Organization on 10th Avenue in Huntington. They act as the local intake point for aging services and can point you toward current home-modification options.
For people 60 and older, the WV Bureau of Senior Services Home Modification and Accessibility Program is worth an application. People who qualify for Medicaid and need nursing-home-level care may be able to use the Aged and Disabled Waiver's Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit. Rural homeowners with very low incomes can look at USDA Section 504 loans and grants.
Other statewide options include the West Virginia Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund. Veterans can reach the Huntington Claims Office at (304) 399-9395, and the Region III - WVDA Southern AAA in Charleston answers at (304) 340-3501.
A Medicaid waiver benefit for adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and choose to stay home; it pays for physical adaptations that improve access to and within the home, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (866) 767-1575.
The local intake point for older adults living in Cabell County, located at 724 10th Avenue in Huntington; it is not a cash grant, and its listed services do not mention stair lifts. Call (304) 529-4952 to ask about current home-modification referrals.
A state program for people 60 and older who show a need for home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; the source does not mention stair lifts or publish a dollar limit. Call (866) 981-2372.
Very-low-income owner-occupants in USDA-eligible rural areas can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over up to 20 years, and homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan may get grants up to $10,000; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (304) 284-4868.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary changes such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, because the VA explicitly excludes stair glides.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own their home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; the source does not mention stair lifts.
A Huntington-based program for people with disabilities that coordinates home modifications and provides durable medical equipment; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (304) 525-3324.
Older adults
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, 25305
Veterans
640 4th Avenue, Room 158, Huntington, 25701
The Aged and Disabled Waiver starts at age 18 for people who qualify for Medicaid and need nursing-facility level of care, and Mountain State Centers for Independent Living serves people with disabilities of any age. Neither source names stair lifts, so call (866) 767-1575 or (304) 525-3324 to ask.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should ask the Huntington Claims Office at (304) 399-9395.
Sometimes. Split-levels have several short flights, so it depends on which levels the person needs to reach every day. We look at the whole layout during the home visit before suggesting one lift or two.
Yes, as long as the property owner agrees, since the rail attaches to the stairs. Get that permission in writing before ordering.
Only at addresses that fall in a USDA-eligible rural area, so check the USDA eligibility map first. Grants up to $10,000 are limited to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Call (304) 284-4868 with questions.
The Metro Area Agency on Aging at (304) 529-4952 is the local starting point for older adults in Cabell County. They can tell you which home-modification options are open right now.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
