Which Ottawa funding programs list stair lifts, and what do they cost me?

Two Ottawa-area funding programs list stair lifts by name, and published 2025–26 prices for a straight stair lift run about $3,000 to $6,000 installed; a curved stair lift runs about $10,000 to $15,000 or more, with complex stairs at the higher end.

Funding That Lists Stair Lifts

The City of Ottawa's Ontario Renovates program lists chair lifts as an eligible accessibility modification. It offers up to $20,000, made up of a forgivable loan of up to $15,000 for essential repairs and accessibility modifications and a grant of up to $5,000 for accessibility modifications only. To earn forgiveness of the loan, you must own and live in the house for 10 years after the work. The program is for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, and your household income must be at or under the City's published limits. Funding is limited and first-come-first-served until March 31, 2027. Work done before the program approves your application is not eligible.

March of Dimes Canada's Home and Vehicle Modification Program, funded by Ontario's Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, also lists stairlifts by name. The lifetime maximum for home modifications is $15,000. Applicants must be permanent Ontario residents, in financial need under its after-tax household income limits, with a permanent, ongoing or recurring disability that impedes mobility and substantially restricts activities of daily living. The program will not repay any cost incurred before it authorizes the work, and quotes must come from a registered medical vendor, supplier or contractor. Solutions are as recommended by an Occupational Therapist.

The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit lets an eligible person claim up to $20,000 of eligible expenses a year. A qualifying individual is someone who is 65 or older at the end of the tax year, or eligible for the disability tax credit at any time in the year. Certain family members who live with them may also claim, and the claim can be split. The credit is not reduced by grants or forgivable loans. The CRA sets the conditions for each expense; the program decides eligibility.

The Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit is a refundable credit for people who turned 70 or older in the year, or whose spouse or partner did. Its list of eligible medical expenses includes renovation or construction that improves mobility, access or functioning within the home because of severe and prolonged impairment. The CRA sets the conditions for each expense.

All program amounts and dates are checked September 2026. The program decides eligibility in every case; nothing here means you or anyone else qualifies.

For the Home Accessibility Tax Credit, keep every agreement, invoice and receipt that shows the contractor's full name, business address, GST/HST number where applicable, a description of the work, the dates the work was done, and proof that you paid.