Manchester Home Is 1st Repaired For Crumbling Foundations Using Funds Secured in Congress
Mike Turek had the perfect retirement home — in a planned cluster community on Deer Run Trail in which the homeowners also own the land, much different than a condominium.
The home also had a unique characteristic — it was mostly in Manchester, but the back of the property inches into Vernon.
But then things changed.
"I never thought I'd be living on a construction site," the 67-year-old Turek said.
Late Monday morning, U.S. Reps Joe Courtney and John Larson staged a news conference at Turek's home with the Capitol Region Council of Governments to mark at the first home repaired for crumbling concrete foundations with direct support from federal “Community Project” funding that Courtney secured in Congress.
As a Fiscal Year 2022 Community Project, Courtney secured $2 million in federal funding to help homeowners across the region repair damages caused by crumbling foundations. The funding was used by CRCOG to launch the new Crumbling Foundation Remediation and Restoration program to help homeowners access financial assistance to repair damages caused by crumbling foundations not covered by the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company Inc.
It was a relief for Turek, who said the faulty foundations were first discovered about five years ago throughout the neighborhood. With the help of the funding, he has been able to live in the home while its foundation is being repaired — one of thousands in the area built in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s affected by the mineral pyrrhotite in a bad batch of concrete from a quarry in Stafford.
Courtney has long-supported CFSIC to ensure it can provide relief to homeowners. In March 2019, the CFSIC received its 501(c)(3) designation which has allowed CFSIC to receive tens of thousands of dollars in private donations in addition to the public money it received. In April 2019, Courtney and Larson urged the IRS and finally received tax clarification from the IRS that homeowners impacted by crumbling foundations could claim additional crumbling foundations-related repairs. Courtney has also secured federal funding through NIST for UConn’s pyrrhotite testing program which provides testing at no cost of homeowners. Pyrrhotite is the chemical which causes concrete foundations to crack.
Courtney’s 2022 Community Project now is providing another avenue of financial assistance for impacted homeowners. In addition to the first home repair in Manchester, more homeowners have been approved to receive support through Gap Foundation Funding, including in Enfield, Ellington, Coventry, Willington and Bolton.
Said Courtney, "What many homeowners thought was an isolated instance turned out to be systematic — something that turned catastrophic over time." He said insurance policies were written to cover "sudden collapse," not years of deterioration.
"Homes are our lives," Manchester Mayor Jay Moran said. "We are so thankful for this program. We have been trying to explain to people across the country what Connecticut, especially east of the river, has been experiencing."
Added Larson, "We needed a remedy to repair these foundations to protect homeowners and allow them to enjoy the value that a home represents."
The new Community Project is being administered by the Capitol Region Council Of Governments. CRCOG Executive Director Matt Hart said that, to date, 56 applications have been submitted with 16 preliminary commitments and five of the 16 under contract.
"It's an excellent partnership and we thank Mike for putting his trust in us.
Turek said his has been one of the easier foundation replacement projects.
CFSIC Superintendent Michael Maglaras said that, so far, 1,129 foundation repairs have been made via the program.
"That's 1,129 families that have had equities in their homes restored," he said. He added the CFSIC has received 2,449 complaints and expects to "top out" at about 4,000 homes.
"It's also a call to action," Maglaras added. "We're encouraging homeowners who suspect they have a crumbling foundation to look into getting it tested."
Testing information is available via the CRCOG web site.