BOSTON —
A group of central Massachusetts homeowners who have watched their foundations crack and crumble under their houses are now asking state officials for help.
“We have nowhere to turn,” said Michelle Loglisci, founder of Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Concrete.
The Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Concrete is an organization formed out of desperation.
WCVB’s Ben Simmoneau has reported on the struggle the residents have had after they learned the concrete in their foundations is contaminated by pyrrhotite – a naturally occurring mineral found in parts of the state that causes concrete to fail prematurely.
Homeowners have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on repairs because they were not covered by insurance, and banks generally won’t lend money to cover the work.
“Does it take one to collapse? You don’t know, right? So we need to help the homeowners, and we need to help the communities,” said Karen Riani, of Holden.
Riani is among the 30 or so residents who will be meeting with lawmakers Monday to try to get them to support a house amendment that is expected to be filed to the Affordable Homes Act to set up a program similar to one already in place in Connecticut that helps homeowners pay for repairs.
“I’m more optimistic now, and I’d rather be positive than negative right now to make something happen,” Riani said.
This summer, Massachusetts will mandate quarries test their product for the presence of pyrrhotite.
Homeowners said that while that’s a good first step at preventing the problem from spreading, it’s not enough.
“Going to our Statehouse representatives and senators and ask them to help us just like Connecticut has. They have had a program operating now for over four years, and they have replaced over 900 foundations. We’re just asking for the same,” said Michelle Loglisci of Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Concrete
The homeowners are hopeful that the amendment will be filed in the next couple of weeks, and that debate can finally begin.