RUTLAND, Mass. – Kim Haynes watched as her dream home looked more like a nightmare. It's being raised off its crumbling foundation.

Crews have to do it to tear out the foundation and put in a new one to make their home safe.

Tests found the mineral pyrrhotite, which breaks down concrete, in Haynes’ foundation. It’s an issue being discovered across Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

“They could just stick their finger right in the foundation,” said Kim. “I mean, it's powder.”

Kim and her husband Jeffrey had to move out with their teenage daughter. 

They’re renting in Worcester, commuting to school. The Haynes know they want to pass on the generational wealth a home provides to their daughter, but right now, it’s more of a burden than a blessing. 

“It's not a problem you want to pass down,” she said. 

This project will cost them more than $250,000. Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover it, and they can’t borrow against the house because the bank will say it’s essentially worthless with a crumbling foundation. 

“If you're thinking of buying a home in this area, don't,” said Jeffrey Haynes. “If sellers are not willing to provide a test on that concrete, proof of that foundation, walk away. Walk away immediately because this problem is so widespread.”

The Haynes have a story like many others. They had a standard home inspection before they bought the house, but nothing came up. 

“Today, my home, our home, it looks it looks like a patient on life support. And that's hard to do. It's hard it's hard to look at this home, where we've put in so much of ourselves and see it look like this,” Jeffrey Haynes said. “Its not fun.”

As more homes in Central and Western Massachusetts are testing positive for pyrrhotite, more homeowners are borrowing against their retirements, or forced to consider bankruptcy. 

The Haynes and many others are advocating for the state to create a reimbursement fund similar to what Connecticut has done to help protect them.