A new statewide program, funded with a $2 million federal appropriation secured by Congressman Joe Courtney, is providing financial assistance for 黑料吃瓜网 residents struggling to .
Coventry resident Kristen Kane and her family of four first noticed five years ago the foundation of their home was cracking.
The foundation replacement costs were covered by , 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 repair program developed five years ago.
However, the program only pays for costs associated with replacing a crumbling foundation. It does not help residents pay for repairs caused by the damage.
Kane had to pay out of pocket for extra expenses associated with the repairs.
She and her wife spent more than $20,000 on additional costs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the yard, it鈥檚 the walkway, it鈥檚 the driveway repairs, it鈥檚 your living expenses. It鈥檚 just everything that the program doesn鈥檛 cover,鈥� Kane said. 鈥淲hile the program covers an enormous amount, you have to take out a loan to get through these expenses and that鈥檚 what we did.鈥�
The Kanes were also forced to move out of their home last fall for two months.
The gap funding program won鈥檛 retroactively help them, but they鈥檙e hopeful it鈥檒l make a difference for other families.
Residents are sometimes forced to forgo the necessary repairs because they can鈥檛 afford the related expenses, Michael Maglaras, superintendent of the foundation repair program, said.
Under the new federally funded program, low- and moderate-income families can apply for up to $32,000 to help pay for unexpected expenses associated with their foundation repairs.
鈥淚'm predicting that the average gap between what we'll pay for and what it will take to get a foundation done for some of these low and moderate income people is around $12,000 bucks, you take $12,000 and divide it into $2 million,鈥� Maglaras said.
The gap funding program will be run through the Capitol Region Council of Governments.
While applicants of all income levels are welcome, a focus will be placed on residents earning at or below 80% of the area鈥檚 median income (AMI).
鈥淭o put that in dollars and cents for a single person that's $66,150 annual income, would anyone at that level or below would be eligible,鈥� Congressman Joe Courtney said.
About 4,000 homes statewide are impacted by crumbling foundations due to stone from a Willington quarry, beginning in the early 1980s.
Most of the impacted homes are located in the northeast portion of the state.
