by Following years of delay, Massachusetts lawmakers approved a state budget provision to establish a stakeholder working group, marking the first step in addressing the problem of deteriorating home foundations.
The legislature must receive a report and recommendations by March 2026.
Sen. Peter Durant, who represents the Hampshire and Worcester districts, said that the homeowners have been relieved.
Rep. Brian Ashe and Durant pushed for the bill to be included in the budget’s Outside Section. The $60.9 billion state budget was signed into law on Friday by Governor Maura Healey.
According to Durant, he hopes to include legislation funding a solution to this problem in the budget by the next year.
According to a 2019 State House investigation, pyrrhotite, which breaks down concrete over time, may be the cause of failing foundations in thousands of Massachusetts homes. Web-like fractures, crumbling walls, and expensive repairs can result from the damage, which is frequently undetectable for years.
The only solution is to replace the entire foundation, which should cost between $150,000 and $250,000 each house.
The number of homes reporting damage from the mineral is increasing, with 43 communities in the state reporting damage.
The Housing and Livable Communities Secretary will preside over the meeting of the Crumbling Concrete Stakeholder Working Group, which will include legislative representatives as well as executive members from the housing, transportation, and consumer affairs departments.
There will also be two homeowners from the Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Foundations.
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Faulty concrete caused their foundations to crumble. Now, they want the state to step in.
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State House fails to pass crumbling concrete relief again
According to Michelle Loglisci, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Foundations, this is the start of something good.
For eight years, Loglisci and other homeowners have been trying to draft legislation to address this issue. They have often encountered resistance.
One proposal, which would have established a Crumbling Concrete Assistance Fund with $100 million in seed money and a working group, and another that just suggested forming a committee were both rejected by the Massachusetts House in May.
Nonetheless, $50,000 was set aside in the budget for a third amendment that would continue engineer inspections and foundation testing.
Two previous attempts to pass legislation to address this issue have likewise failed. Homeowners even begged the governor to use her executive authority to assist in October.
“We are thrilled that the legislature made the decision to start the process,” Loglisci said. We fervently hope that this working group’s report is released and implemented.
For the increasing number of homeowners who deal with this issue, the battle is far from over.
According to Loglisci, we are battling for our lives here and for our futures.
When pyrrhotite is discovered, many people who are dealing with this costly issue are left in the dark, their most valuable item frozen and worthless. The foundation of the house collapses if it is not repaired, putting too much strain on the structure to make it unsafe.
For those who have discovered pyrrhotite in the foundation of their home, there is no recourse because homeowners insurance does not cover the expense and lawsuits are not an option.
According to Loglisci, we are a persistent group. There isn’t really much else we can do. To use a pun, we are facing a wall.
For Boston.com, Beth Treffeisen works as a general assignment reporter, covering local news, crime, and business in the New England area.
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