Explained: Why Hurricane Katrina survivors feel let down yet again and the Brad Pitt connection

Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina, some homeowners in New Orleans say they have been dealt a fresh blow. In August, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which had vowed to build houses for victims of Hurricane Katrina, agreed to settle for $20.5 dollars after building ‘structurally’ defective’ homes. A California-based non-profit pledged to pay the money. There was just one problem – it doesn’t have any, according to a report. Let’s take a closer look: Pitt founded the Make it Right Foundation in 2007 – two years after Hurricane Katrina wiped out New Orleans. The goal was to replace lost housing in the city’s flood-ruined Lower Ninth Ward with 150 avant-garde dwellings that were storm-safe and energy-efficient. The homes were made available at an average price of $150,000 to residents who received resettlement financing, government grants and donations from the foundation itself. The project was praised initially, but 10 years and more than $26 million later, construction had halted. Residents reported sagging porches, mildewing wood and leaky roofs.

Make It Right acknowledged flaws in the architecture at least twice.

First, in 2015, lawyers representing the organization sued the manufacturer of an ecologically friendly, water-resistant wood for $500,000, when the product proved to be no match for south Louisiana weather. In 2018, Make It Right lawyers sued its own managing architect over what it said where millions of dollars in design defects. In 2021, the organization also sued its former executive director along with the former treasurer and other officials, accusing them of mismanaging the project. As residents’ complaints mounted, they filed a class-action lawsuit against Make It Right in 2018. The suit alleged that many of the houses were poorly built with inadequate materials. [caption id=“attachment_12451892” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Coffins are seen removed from tombs after Hurricane Katrina, in a cemetery at Port Sulphur, south of New Orleans. Reuters[/caption] According to the suit, some of the homes suffered from rain leakage that caused rot, structural damage and mold. The suit also catalogued faulty heating, problems with cooling and ventilation systems, electrical malfunctions and plumbing mishaps. As per The Conversation, Pitt till 2018 was listed as a board member of Make It Right. While his lawyers contended he could not be personally held liable for the shortcomings, a judge disagreed. In August, Pitt’s defunct foundation and the homeowners agreed to the settlement. Where’s the money?  Global Green, a California-based non-profit organization devoted to ecological concerns, said it would pay the $20.5 million. Global Green, whose honorary board has included Leonardo DiCaprio, Norman Lear, Yoko Ono, Ted Turner and Robert Redford, has had some success building its own homes in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, according to the AV Club. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the non-profit just days after the agreement said it couldn’t pay up because it didn’t have the funds.

It further said it could not raise money as Angelina Jolie, Pitt’s former wife, had accused him of abuse.

“I’ve never seen a situation like this, where there was a settlement that fell through because it was an insolvent party that proposed it,” Louisiana State University law professor William R Corbett told THR. The AV Club quoted Global Green CEO Bill Bridge as saying that his firm never had the money on hand and that Pitt’s people brought to bear pressure on them. Pitt’s representatives told THR, “Brad had supported Global Green many years ago, so when they approached his team stating ‘$20.5M in funding’ had been secured by their ‘generous donors,’ there was interest in considering their proposal.” “Global Green represented themselves as having already obtained these funds and planned to use them toward resolving all claims in the ongoing lawsuit for the benefit of the homeowners.” “It was incredibly surprising for the plaintiffs, the defendants and their counsel to learn that the funds Global Green claimed multiple times were secured had not in fact been committed or raised. It was equally disappointing to discover payment was not made, though the settlement agreement was specifically negotiated to ensure that litigation would continue without prejudice to any parties if the settlement were to fail.” The victims, meanwhile, are left to lament what they’ve lost – again. “This has been one long nightmare,” Albert Matthews told THR. “It’s been very stressful for all of us. My mother, she’s never seen the end of the tunnel from Katrina.” With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.