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UPDATE:Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity contacted KSL to thank those who have donated to the non-profit organization so it can fund remediation projects such as the one in West Valley City. Habitat for Humanity has many partners in the community, one being Waste Management that gave funds through a grant to Habitat for use only in West Valley City. Waste Management gave approval of those funds going to clean up Linnette Harms and Josh Pace's home. Additionally, Crime Scene Cleaners donated their time and equipment and granted a $1406 cost savings on the remediation of the home.
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WEST VALLEY CITY -- A major step forward was taken for a West Valley couple whose first home turned out to be contaminated with methamphetamine.
Josh Pace and Linnette Harms bought their home in August only to find out in September after getting sick that the previous owner had been arrested by West Valley police for methamphetamine possession.
After a meth test confirmed the house was contaminated, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department barred entry to the home.
Today, the health department's placard is done and the home is meth-free.
"The fabulous lady from the Health Department came down and she was way excited to take the placard off the window and so was I," Linnette said.
Admittedly, it's been a long six months for the couple who have been living in Linnette's mother's home with their four children.
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Affordable home becomes pricey nightmare for Utah family
After a month of working to make renovations on their new home, a West Valley City family was evacuated from it. Now, it's been condemned because it's contaminated with meth."Yay! Four children and a small bedroom doesn't work," Linnette said laughing.
At first the couple didn't know where to turn for help when they first learned they could not live in the home they had purchased.
However after KSL first aired a story on the couple's predicament, the help began pouring in.
"Waste Management, Crime Scene Cleaners, and Habitat for Humanity. Without them - and without KSL 5 - without all of you guys we wouldn't have been able to make it this far," she said.
Linnette says that Waste Management and Habitat for Humanity paid the $8400 cost of gutting the interior of the home and cleaning the meth residue.
Both will also pay for the renovation of the home that has been gutted down to the studs.
"I'm way excited. Wow! It's a relief, finally. Finally to get everything rolling. And we'll be in the house within a month," Linnette said.
She and Josh expressed gratitude for all the help they've received so far because, they admit, they couldn't have done it alone.
"We're getting a lot of help from a lot of family, a lot of friends, a lot of people donating their time, their money and their efforts," she said.
