The Make It Right Foundation is a

non-profit foundation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded by American actor

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

in 2007. The foundation was established to aid in the

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that cl ...

rebuilding of houses in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Lower 9th Ward The Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Indus ...

after Hurricane Katrina. The organization also built structures in Newark, New Jersey, and Kansas City, Missouri. In 2018, Lower Ninth Ward residents filed suit against Make It Right, alleging that the nonprofit built and sold houses with "defective" materials that caused electrical and plumbing malfunctions, insufficient ventilation, and structural issues. As of early 2022, reports stated that only 6 of the original 109 homes built remained in "reasonably good shape," with many rendered uninhabitable, plagued by construction errors and mold issues.

History

In December 2007,

and

William McDonough William Andrews McDonough is an American architect, designer, and author. McDonough is founding principal of William McDonough + Partners, co-founder of McDonough MBDC, and co-author of '' Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things'' ...

, together with Graft Architects, founded Make It Right to rebuild 150 safe, energy-efficient and affordable homes for families from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina. The foundation was advised on formation by Trevor Neilson and Nina Killeen, advisors to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation through their firm,

Global Philanthropy Group Global Philanthropy Group is a consulting firm that provides philanthropic services for high-net-worth individuals, charitable foundations and corporations. Their clients include John Legend, Avril Lavigne, Madonna, Tegan and Sara, Miley Cyrus, Ev ...

. On March 10, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Pitt and

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom '' Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". S ...

hosted "A Night to Make It Right" with

Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...

and

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

and performances by

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to t ...

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, ...

, and

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

. Make It Right raised $5 million at the event, according to the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune''. Over 1,200 attendees paid between $1,000 and $2,500 to dine on a meal created by celebrity chefs

Emeril Lagasse Emeril John Lagassé III ( ; born October 15, 1959) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author, and National Best Recipe award winner for his "Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili" recipe in 2003. He is a regio ...

and

John Besh John Besh (born May 14, 1968) is an American chef, TV personality, philanthropist, restaurateur and author. He is known for his efforts in preserving the culinary heritage of New Orleans cuisine. Background Besh was born in Meridian, Mississippi ...

. A silent auction was also held to raise funds. The organization was bolstered by support from celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey. By March 2013, Make It Right had completed 90 of the proposed 150 homes. The homes in New Orleans were designed by renowned architects such as

Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considere ...

David Adjaye Sir David Frank Adjaye (born 22 September 1966) is a Ghanaian-British architect. He is known for having designed many notable buildings around the world, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D ...

, and

Shigeru Ban Biography
, The Hyatt Foundation, retrieved 26 March 2014 is a Japanese architect, known for his i ...

, and each home was LEED Platinum certified by the

USGBC The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

. With their angular shapes and bold colors, the Make It Right houses were not typical of New Orleans. The organization implemented the holistic, eco-conscious

Cradle to Cradle Cradle-to-cradle design (also referred to as 2CC2, C2C, cradle 2 cradle, or regenerative design) is a biomimetic approach to the design of products and systems that models human industry on nature's processes, where materials are viewed as nutr ...

method of building, promising certifiably green construction that would benefit the homeowner. The homes were said to use 70% less energy than a conventional home of the same size. It took about $150,000 to build these homes, labor included. If the costs exceeded the estimated price, the foundation would cover the difference. Projects went beyond New Orleans. Make It Right partnered with HelpUSA in

Newark, NJ Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, Make It Right converted a school into 50 affordable rental units.

Decay problems, structural issues, and lawsuits

The foundation came under fire in early January 2014 after over two dozen of the green homes built started exhibiting severe signs of rotting. The foundation reported that the homes used special wood products called TimberSIL which is advertised as free from many of the toxic ingredients. The wood was unable to withstand the extensive moisture that engulfs the city of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

In 2018, the year of the first of several lawsuits, it was reported that residents of the New Orleans Make It Right homes were complaining that many of the Make It Right homes were rotting and dangerous. They complained of mold and collapsing structures, electrical fires and gas leaks. The residents said the houses were built too quickly, with low-quality materials, and that the designs did not take into account New Orleans’ humid, rainy climate. Also, it was reported that Make It Right had not built a home, filed tax forms, or updated its website since 2015. The downtown New Orleans office had been closed, the staff had been cut to a handful, and residents said their calls went unreturned. In October 2020, a Make It Right house designed by

in New Orleans was slated for demolition, having been deemed unsafe for habitation. In early 2022, it was reported that only 6 of the 109 Make It Right houses remained in what an urban-studies researcher deemed to be "reasonably good shape." In August 2022, the Civil District Court for Orleans Parish ordered the Make It Right foundation to compensate the 107 residents of the Lower 9th ward with $20M, each resident entitled to $25,000 as compensation for repairs.Bennett,J. (August 18, 2022)' Brad Pitt reaches $20.5M settlement with Katrina victims over faulty homes', ''Page Six''. retrieved from https://pagesix.com/2022/08/18/brad-pitt-reaches-settlement-with-katrina-victims-over-faulty-homes/, retrieved on August 19, 2022)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Official Website
* CNN

4 December 2008 * Huffington Post

2 December 2008 * BusinessWeek

Alec Appelbaum, 17 December 2007 * New York Times

Robin Pogrebin, 3 December 2007 *Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/03/brad_pitts_make_it_right_gala.html *O Magazine

Amanda Little, September 2010 *Times-Picayune

Doug MacCash, 10 November 2012 *Times-Picayune

Doug MacCash, 9 March 2012 Hurricane Katrina disaster relief Hurricane Katrina recovery in New Orleans Non-profit organizations based in Louisiana Organizations established in 2007 Brad Pitt

History

Decay problems, structural issues, and lawsuits

See also

References

External links