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The non-profit project was launched to feverish buzz with support of celebrities from Snoop Dogg to Ellen DeGeneres to Bill Clinton.
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.
The project seemed cutting-edge, if not utopian. Architects like Frank Gehry, David Adjaye and Shigeru Ban helped design the houses, which incorporated next-gen features like solar panel roofs, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and sustainable materials.
That dream has become a curse, as many of the residents’ homes have decayed to unlivable conditions and that's NOT the residents fault. Some residents had spent their life savings on their Make It Right home.
The houses now list a frightening array of defects: water intrusion, black mold, porches rotted through, stair rails collapsing, fires caused by electrical problems, plumbing problems and poor ventilation, according to a class-action lawsuit filed against Pitt and his charity by some of the remaining residents. Other residents have reported termite infestations, and multiple residents have fallen sick.
Many of the homeowners don’t have the resources to make the necessary repairs on their own. They were pushed to sign non-disclosure agreements before anyone would tell them what was wrong with their homes.
Then everyone from Make It Right - a non profit organization, has more or less disappeared.
Unfortunately, the debacle had shown how celebrities can evade accountability, and what can go wrong when a state entrusts private individuals, or non-profit groups, to solve its housing problems.
Status:
"Smartened up and walked away!"
(set 21 days ago)
11,768 posts, read 5,781,921 times
Reputation: 14186
Horrible situation - there are consequences even when you try to do the right thing because not enough thought is put into it. Everyone is a yes man instead of saying but or what if. Failure to see that going green may not have been the best option giving the climate, insect problems in the south ect weren't even a thought.
Mold and rot on unpainted houses in New Orleans? You don't say!
...Some houses had flat roofs and lacked basic features like rain gutters, overhangs, covered beams, or waterproof paint to weather New Orleans’ torrential downpours...
Not sure how this is Pitt's fault, but The Guardian wouldn't get any clicks if they put the blame on the actual builder(s).
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