Homeowners left with crumbling foundation after contaminant makes thousands of Massachusetts homes "worthless"
BOSTON - Homeowners across Massachusetts say their homes' foundations are crumbling and are now pleading with lawmakers to help save them.
"Concrete is now able to be removed with your naked hand "
"My home is devastatingly affected to the point where concrete is now able to be removed with your naked hand," said Cynthia Poirer, who is a member of Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Concrete
The organization is devastated and desperate for the state to act after learning that the concrete in their home's foundation is contaminated by pyrrhotite, a naturally occurring mineral found in parts of the Commonwealth that eventually causes concrete to fail.
"It's due to a natural mineral when over a period of years combined with moisture makes foundation crumbles and your home is worthless," homeowner Ernest Gagnon said.
Homeowners are stuck
It is leaving homeowners like Michelle Loglisci stuck because insurance won't cover it, and banks won't lend money to cover the cost of the work. People are left with hundreds of thousands of dollars of repairs.
"After this much time of putting your life on hold because you can't move, you can't sell, you have no ability to make decisions for your life, you get impatient," Loglisci said.
A bill to help fund repairs
On Monday, residents met with lawmakers at the State House to try to get them to support a house amendment to the Affordable Homes Act that advocates expect to be filed in the coming weeks.
State Senator Ryan Fattman is a key supporter of a bill to establish a program similar to one already in place in Connecticut to help homeowners pay for repairs.
"That is the main mechanism for which we can create a statewide program similar to what Connecticut did, where they added a fee onto homeowners insurance and then seeded that money with a fund to fund out the change of foundations for homes that have this pyrrhotite crumbling foundation. And that's what we hope to do here," State Senator Fattman said
The state now mandates quarries to test their product for pyrrhotite to stop the spread. But these homeowners need help desperately.
"I am happy with the fact they are listening to us and willing to go forward, but I would be happier with votes in our favor," Poirier said.
Homeowners are hopeful the amendment will be filed in the coming weeks.
