For the survivors of Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward, it had seemed like an answered prayer: In 2006, Brad Pitt announced an initiative to rebuild New Orleans’ storm-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward with homes durable, floodproof and affordable, designed by an A-list architect. The 109 homes on offer would give many survivors a chance to become first-time homeowners and bring back a community devastated by the hurricane. But not even a decade after the the homes were completed to great fanfare – including a star-studded gala hosted by Ellen DeGeneres – that dream became a curse, as many of the residents’ homes decayed into unlivable conditions.
houses now list a chilling array of defects: water intrusion, black mold, rotting porches, collapsing stair railings, fires caused by electrical problems, plumbing issues and poor ventilation, according to a class action lawsuit filed against Pitt and his charity by some of the other residents. Other residents reported termite infestations and several residents fell ill.
Urban studies scholar Judith Keller, who stayed in one of Pitt’s homes as part of her research into failed development in 2018, returned recently to find things had gotten much worse: Although some of these structures are not yet ten years old, my data shows that only six of them remain in reasonably good condition,” she wrote in her research report. After a house was demolished in 2018 for severe mold issues, another was demolished last year for the same reason. Of the remaining homes, six have been boarded up and abandoned since the first residents moved in. “I was shocked at how badly this project had deteriorated over the past three years,” Keller told the Guardian. “The problems that existed in 2018 are all getting worse because there is no one to fix things.” And many homeowners don’t have the resources to do the necessary repairs themselves.
It had to be different. The non-profit project, called Make It Right, was started by Brad Pitt following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, to much hype. Lavish fundraisers drew support from luminaries from Snoop Dogg to Bill Clinton, raising millions of dollars – including $5 million claimed from Pitt himself, who lived part-time in New Orleans with his wife Angelina Pretty.
The project seemed avant-garde, if not utopian. Architects like Frank Gehry, David Adjaye, and Shigeru Ban helped design the homes, which incorporated next-generation features like solar panel roofs, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and sustainable materials. And each house would be sold well below cost: $150,000. As Pitt bragged in 2010, “We crack the code for affordable green homes. He called the rebuilt Lower Ninth a “proof of concept” for low-income green building on a national, if not global, scale. »
Keller said residents were at first “flabbergasted” by Pitt and thrilled to become homeowners. And at first everything seemed fine. But almost as soon as the film crews left and started settling in, the problems became apparent. Some homes had flat roofs and lacked basic features like gutters, overhangs, covered beams, or waterproof paint to withstand New Orleans’ torrential downpours. Within weeks, the homes began to develop mold, leaks and rot. Pitt’s nonprofit initially made some minor repairs, but then began pushing residents to sign nondisclosure agreements before telling them what was wrong with their home. “That’s when a lot of residents started noticing that things were very dodgy.”
In 2014 it became clear that the buildings were actively collapsing, with reports that the glass-infused wood was “rotting from within”. But without correcting the problem, Pitt went on to call the project a success – telling local media in August 2016: “I’ll tell you, every time I drive over the Claiborne Bridge, no matter how frustrating I might be facing at this time. , I get this well of pride when I see this little oasis of color and the solar panels.” It was the last time he publicly mentioned Make It Right. The following month, he and Angelina Jolie divorced, and soon the couple sold their New Orleans mansion.
Then Make It Right disappeared. Its website stopped updating – and was later replaced with a blank page. The office stopped answering the phone. “Everyone from Make It Right has more or less disappeared,” said Keller, who said she’s tried every method to contact the organization with no success since she began her search. With no one to turn to, residents are stranded.
In 2018, as their homes continued to crumble, some residents filed a class action lawsuit against Pitt and Make It Right, citing “significant mental distress” and “financial loss,” and noting in their petition that “despite months and/or years of multiple petitions, the defendants failed to ‘fix things’”.
“It was, in most cases, a one-time homeownership agreement for these people,” said Ron Austin, an attorney representing the residents. He told the Guardian that some residents had spent all of their savings on their Make It Right home. “Without financial assistance, these people will literally have nothing left.”
The lawyer added that many residents are still fans of Brad Pitt. “It’s unbelievable. To this day their homes are collapsing around them and they love the man. But they just can’t believe the betrayal.
Pitt denied any responsibility. A source close to Pitt told the Guardian: “Brad got involved at first to help the people of the Lower Ninth Ward, and obviously it was heartbreaking to see what happened once he stepped down. of the project and that others had taken over.” the source said.
Although a judge denied a motion by Brad Pitt to withdraw from the lawsuit in 2019, the source also denied Pitt’s legal guilt for the houses. “His lawyers have made it clear that he bears no legal responsibility for decisions made by others. He remains personally committed to doing all he can to help resolve the ongoing litigation. something that was important to him from the beginning and he really wants to help facilitate that much more positive ending,” the source said.
Make It Right filed its own counterclaims, suing its timber supplier, chief architect and executive director – blaming them for the failure of the project and estimating that the faulty constructions would cost $20 million to repair. Last year, Make It Right was hit with more lawsuits: from a local bank, and even from a lawn mower who said it was owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
Keller thinks Brad Pitt had good intentions. But she said the debacle showed how celebrities like him can escape responsibility and what can go wrong when a state entrusts individuals or nonprofit groups with solving its housing problems. “Usually (non-profit organizations) step in to help in an emergency. But now their own project is the emergency,” she said. “And the city doesn’t really take responsibility either.”
She thinks the Hollywood star needs to own up to his mistakes and fix them. “I think that’s all the residents want. They don’t need a fake reconciliation, they don’t need to be best friends with Brad Pitt. They just want the problems in their homes taken care of.