Morgantown climbs a series of hills above the Monongahela River, and many houses in older neighborhoods like South Park and Sunnyside are built right into the slope. That often means a front walk with steps, an interior staircase or two, and sometimes a lower level that opens onto the backyard. These are the homes where we get the most calls.
The rest of Monongalia County spreads across ridges and valleys along the Cheat River and Cheat Lake, out to communities such as Cheat Lake, Brookhaven, Westover, Star City, Granville and Cassville. You will find older rural houses there next to newer subdivisions. This page explains how those homes affect the choice of a stair lift and where county residents can look for help with the cost.
The county covers about 366 square miles of the Appalachian Plateau in north-central West Virginia, up against the Pennsylvania line. On that kind of ground, a house rarely sits flat. Builders made up the grade with extra stairs inside and out.
Steep yards also make ramps harder. A ramp needs a long, gentle run, and many Morgantown lots simply do not have the space for one. When a ramp will not fit, a stair lift on the existing steps is often the practical answer.
A straight stair lift fits a single run of stairs with no turns or landings. Many detached houses and townhouses in the county have exactly that, and a straight rail is the simplest and quickest to install.
Split-level homes and older multi-level houses often have short flights, landings or a turn partway up. Those need a curved rail built to the shape of the staircase, or in some cases two straight lifts. We measure each flight before recommending either one.
Exterior steps from the street or driveway are common on hillside lots. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and a platform lift can be an option where someone needs to stay in a wheelchair. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since shared stairs usually need the building owner's approval first.
About 12.4% of county residents are 65 or older. That share is lower than in much of rural West Virginia because West Virginia University keeps the median age young, but it still adds up to a lot of older adults living in multi-level homes.
Around 56.5% of households own their home, and many of the programs below require ownership.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides. Several do fund home modifications in general, so it is worth asking each one directly how they treat a stair lift.
Good first calls are the WV Aging and Disability Resource Center at (866) 981-2372 for its home modification program, and the Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver line at (304) 558-3317. The aging office listed for the county is Region II - WVDA North Central AAA at 1948 Industrial Blvd., Suite 400, Morgantown, phone (304) 296-0061.
Veterans can reach the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance Clarksburg Benefits Office at 153 W Main Street, Suite C, Clarksburg, phone (304) 627-2175. Statewide, the West Virginia Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund is another name to ask about.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 to 64 with a qualifying disability, who need nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications as a benefit, approved case by case, but does not mention stair lifts. Call (304) 558-3317, and note enrollment is capped at about 8,750 slots.
The state's overview of the same waiver, which includes physical adaptations to the home (EAA-Home) among its services but does not name stair lifts. Applicants must be 18 or older, financially Medicaid-eligible and need help in at least 5 daily-living areas; call (304) 558-3317.
The agency designated under the Older Americans Act to serve a 16-county region that includes Monongalia County, working through local service providers rather than cash grants. Its source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, and no phone number is listed.
A state program for people 60 and older who can show a need for home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (866) 981-2372 or mail an application to 824 Cross Lanes Drive, Charleston, WV 25313.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, plus grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas; repairs must remove a health or safety hazard, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (304) 284-4860.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status for permanent changes like ramps, roll-in showers and wider doorways. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for homeowners with certain severe service-connected disabilities; the program does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A Morgantown nonprofit at 601 East Brockway Avenue offering advocacy, information and referral for people with disabilities in its service area, which includes Monongalia County; no stair lift benefit is listed. Call (304) 296-6091 to ask about home modification help.
Older adults
1948 Industrial Blvd., Suite 400, Morgantown, 26505
Veterans
153 W Main Street, Suite C, Clarksburg, 26301
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran who qualifies should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Clarksburg Benefits Office at (304) 627-2175.
Yes, the WV ADRC Home Modification and Accessibility Program starts at age 60 for people who can show a need. Call (866) 981-2372. The Aged and Disabled Waiver also covers adults 18 to 64 with a qualifying disability.
Usually not. Exterior steps need an outdoor-rated lift, and the inside staircase gets its own lift, straight or curved depending on its shape. On steep lots that cannot fit a ramp, this is often the most workable setup.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver lists home modifications as a benefit and approves them case by case within the service plan's cost limits, but it does not name stair lifts. Ask about it when you apply, by calling (304) 558-3317.
Yes. Split-level homes often have short flights with a landing between levels, which can call for a curved rail or a separate straight lift on each flight. We measure every run before suggesting either.
The aging office listed for the county is Region II - WVDA North Central AAA in Morgantown at (304) 296-0061. The Northern WV Center for Independent Living, also in Morgantown, is at (304) 296-6091.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
