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Conn. Lawmakers Secure State Funding For Damaged Westville Homes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - Relief is in sight for homeowners in New Haven's Westville section.

As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, the houses that were built long ago on riverbeds have suffered erosion and damage over the years.

For decades, no one knew what was causing the damage to some of the 1930s-era homes in the Westville section. Owners complained of creaking foundations and eroding basements.

Conn. Lawmakers Secure State Funding For Damaged Westville Homes

"A couple of houses started sinking and it was very frightening, we didn't know the extent of it," State Rep. Patricia Dillon told Schneidau. "Wasn't clear at that time what was happening or why and when it was going to stop."

A massive drainage project from the nearby West River destabilized the ground beneath the foundations, causing the problem, Dillon said.

Since the homes were built so long ago, federal remediation is not available.

But Dillon and State Sen. Toni Harp worked to secure state funds to repair the damage and restore confidence to homeowners who had been searching for answers.

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