Make It Right Foundation

The Make It Right Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded by American actor Brad Pitt in 2007. The foundation was established to aid in the environmentally friendly rebuilding of houses in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina. The organization also built structures in Newark, New Jersey, and Kansas City, Missouri.[3]

Make It Right Foundation
FoundedDecember 2007 (2007-12)
FounderBrad Pitt
Type501(c)(3) charitable organization
26-0723027
FocusTo be a catalyst for the redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood with safe and healthy homes inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking with an emphasis on a high quality of design, while preserving the spirit of the community's culture.[1]
Area served
New Orleans, LA
Newark, NJ
Kansas City, MO
Revenue
Increase US $11,921,161[2]
ExpensesNegative increase US $9,646,135[2]
Employees
24

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.[4] 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.[5]

History
Photographic portrait of Brad Pitt from Blake Nelson Boyd's "Louisiana Cereal".

In December 2007, Brad Pitt and William McDonough, together with Graft Architects,[6] founded Make It Right to rebuild 150 safe, energy-efficient and affordable homes for families from New Orleans Lower 9th Ward who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina.[7][8] The foundation was advised on formation by Trevor Neilson and Nina Killeen, advisors to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation through their firm, Global Philanthropy Group.[9][10]

On March 10, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres hosted "A Night to Make It Right" with Drew Brees and Randy Jackson and performances by Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Seal, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. John. 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 and John Besh. A silent auction was also held to raise funds.[11] The organization was bolstered by support from celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey.[12]

By March 2013, Make It Right had completed 90 of the proposed 150 homes.[13] The homes in New Orleans were designed by renowned architects such as Frank Gehry, David Adjaye, and Shigeru Ban, and each home was LEED Platinum certified by the USGBC.[14]

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 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.[15]

Projects went beyond New Orleans. Make It Right partnered with HelpUSA in Newark, NJ to build a 56-unit multi-family building for disabled veterans. The LEED Platinum building opened on Memorial Day 2012.[16] In Kansas City, Make It Right converted a school into 50 affordable rental units.[17]

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.[18][19][20] The foundation reported that the homes used special wood products called TimberSIL which is advertised as free from many of the toxic ingredients.[21][22] The wood was unable to withstand the humidity in the city of New Orleans. The foundation announced they were prepared to pursue all legal remedies if necessary.[23] In 2015, they sued the manufacturer for nearly $500,000, the alleged cost of replacing rotting decks on 39 of the 109 houses built. In 2017, the suit was reportedly settled for an undisclosed amount.[4]

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.[24] 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.[24] 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.[24]

In October 2020, a Make It Right house designed by David Adjaye in New Orleans was slated for demolition, having been deemed unsafe for habitation.[25] 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."[26]

See also

References
  1. VolunteerMatch. "Make It Right Foundation". VolunteerMatch. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  2. Make It Right Foundation. "Financial Statements - 2012 Audit" (PDF). Make It Right Foundation. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  3. "Make it Right – Graft".
  4. "Where Did Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation Go Wrong?". 18 January 2019.
  5. "How Brad Pitt's green housing dream for Hurricane Katrina survivors turned into a nightmare". The Conversation. 2022-01-31.
  6. Pogrebin, Robin (December 3, 2007). "Brad Pitt Commissions Designs for New Orleans". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  7. Thomson, Katherine (January 1, 2009). "Brad Pitt "High" From New Orleans Project". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  8. Bernstein, Fred (November 25, 2009). "Brad Pitt's Gifts to New Orleans". New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  9. "Make It Right Foundation - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  10. Holson, Laura M. (2010-12-03). "Charity Fixer to the Stars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  11. Make It Right Gala raises $5 million, Doug MacCash, Times Picayune, 3-13-12. Retrieved 1-19-16
  12. "Brad Pitt's housing nonprofit Make It Right faces lawsuit". 31 August 2018.
  13. "In Defense of Make it Right in New Orleans' 9th Ward".
  14. "Make it Right Homes in NOLA". 29 May 2012.
  15. Lee, Evelyn (2008-09-11). "Brad Pitt Breaks Ground in Louisiana with 'Make It Right' Read more: Brad Pitt Breaks Ground in Louisiana with 'Make It Right' | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building". Inhabitat. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  16. "NJ Department of Community Affairs".
  17. "Lots owned by Brad Pitt's nonprofit 'Make it Right' sit empty, KC residents hope for change". 8 July 2021.
  18. Lee, Ashley (January 3, 2014). "Brad Pitt Charity's Post-Hurricane Katrina Homes Rotting (Report)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  19. Merriman, Rebecca (January 2, 2014). "Brad Pitt's Charity Under Fire After Hurricane Katrina Houses Begin". Entertainment Wise. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  20. Fox News (January 1, 2014). "Brad Pitt charity under fire after Katrina victims' homes begin to rot". Fox News.
  21. Thompson, Richard (April 2, 2015). "Brad Pitt foundation sues manufacturer over allegedly defective wood". The Advocate. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  22. Dicker, Ron (2 January 2014). "Rotting Wood Reported In Katrina Homes Built By Brad Pitt's 'Make It Right' Foundation". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  23. "Brad Pitt's housing foundation considers legal action". 3News. January 4, 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  24. "Brad Pitt built dozens of homes in New Orleans after Katrina. Now they're falling apart and residents are suing". NBC. 12 September 2018.
  25. "David Adjaye-Designed House Built by Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation to be Torn Down". 17 October 2020.
  26. "Mold, leaks, rot: How Brad Pitt's post-Katrina housing project went horribly wrong". TheGuardian.com. 3 February 2022.
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