God, I just realized that we’re coming up on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Time flies. Because the tenth anniversary is coming up so quickly (within days), Brad Pitt sat down for an exclusive interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune/Nola.com. Pitt started Make It Right NOLA a few years after half of New Orleans was decimated by both Katrina and bureaucratic catastrophe and now, seven years later, Pitt’s MIR NOLA has built 109 homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. These homes are designed by architects like Shigeru Ban, Thom Mayne, Frank Gehry, they are all eco-friendly and they all have solar panels. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
Pitt on working with world-famous architects: “Listen, we were very fortunate that they would come in, but they felt the need as well. Actually, this is the definition of architecture: It is solving problems through design. And, again, we’re not talking about aesthetics; we’re talking about function, and that is the holy grail of architecture.”
The Lower 9th: “I think it first became a 21st-century disaster attraction, unfortunately. This became the icon of the place that was hit the hardest and suffered the most, certainly in one condensed area. It certainly seemed to illustrate man’s failure in this particular area. The message (of Make It Right) was to take this spot that was emblematic of such human failure and to make it a human success story on how we can build in the future, how we can build for families, how we can build with quality, and how we can build with the community under their guidelines.”
Early mistakes: “We went into it incredibly naïve, just thinking we can build homes — how hard is that? — and not understanding forgivable loan structures and family financial counseling and getting the rights to lots and HUD grants and so on and so forth. So it’s been a big learning curve.”
Interesting details about the money: According to figures provided by Make It Right, Pitt’s visionary recovery neighborhood has cost $26.8 million. The houses have been sold at a loss, as was always part of the plan, for an average of roughly $150,000 each, with financial assistance to make the mortgages affordable. In exact terms, Make It Right reports that it has provided $5.2 million in supplementary loans that needn’t be repaid and another half-million to cover up-front mortgage costs (closing costs). The cash to fuel the project has come mainly from donations and federal grants. In the first year of the project, $12.3 million came in. In 2011, when the banking crisis deadened the economy, donations dropped to one-sixth that much. Last year, the figure was back up to roughly $6 million, a respectable amount considering that time has naturally dimmed the public’s interest in New Orleans’ ongoing recovery.
Filming in NOLA: “We bring a lot of films down there, our production company. New Orleans is such a great place to shoot and the rebates are phenomenal, so it’s not a big fight with the studios. They’re more than happy for us to get back down there. It’s a very rich place to shoot. It’s my excuse to get back there.”
He’s not going to be in NOLA for the 10-year anniversary: “We’re doing a satirical piece on war, a satirical piece on the decisions that bring about war. That’s the best I can do at the moment.”
It’s an interesting piece because Pitt addresses some of the criticisms lodged at MIR NOLA directly, like the idea of building affordable, sustainable, environmentally sound homes on a budget is a total pipe dream… which the figures sort of prove. But Pitt’s defense is interesting, because he basically says that MIR NOLA wasn’t just about the immediate need for quality lower-income housing in the 9th Ward, it was about figuring out the prototypes that would function all over the country, that MIR NOLA was always meant to be a larger experiment. While I think that’s fine to have larger goals and an eye on the bigger picture for the future of low-income sustainable housing, I also sort of believe that there was some false advertising in how Pitt originally began MIR NOLA. People gave money because they believed Pitt was working towards making homes for New Orleans families only to see the mission statement change mid-stream. Still… it’s an interesting project and I do admire the fact that he stuck with it.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN.
I just admired that he tried to do something for the people. I believe his heart was in the right place. Katrina was devastating on a biblical level and it certainly felt that the government at the time could give a rats behind at the amount aid and support those folks needed. I have family from that area and whenever we talk about Katrina,they still get emotional.
agree…he tried, and is still trying. so it wasn’t perfect…at least he is making a difference.
nice try. 109 homes in 7 years is hardly impressive for the amount of money he raised.
How many other celebs have built 100 or so homes for Katrina. And for your info Brad has built more houses then so many other organizations. MIR has also built homes in Missouri New Jersey and other regions. It’s like. Sad that the first comment you make is so negative. Can’t stand people like you, always complaining.
109 homes worth $150000 = $17 millions roughly. Plus all of the lobbying at the White House etc. those figures show that the project was done in a great way.
But I bet the fact that 109 families (around 500 people) now have a home won’t matter to you at all.
You just need an excuse to attack the Jolie-Pitts on anything even if it’s helping the less fortunate.
Since you are attacking someone who helps others why don’t you give up your internet access and donate that money? That way you have the right to critize others who are actually helping others.
Except the latest reports are that around 25% of the homes are in a state of rot/decay because the foundation, in a rush to be green, selected a wood for building that was totally unsuited to the climate and now you have families living in a state of rot and mold. You can appreciate the attempt while pointing out how badly it was executed.
@Sam: actually in that same report it also said as soon as the team found out about the rotting wood, they replaced all of it from their own pockets.
So no – the families are not living in rotten wooded houses.
Exactly. It’s not “hardly impressive” to the children who won’t grow up homeless or the people who could finally stop worrying about finding a place to sleep and focus their efforts on finding a job, parenting, recovering from the psychological and physical trauma, etc…
No charity is without its faults, but it sounds like Brad and his colleagues took accountability every step of the way and worked to correct the problems that arose. What’s the alternative? Doing nothing at all?
@Maya – THIS
WHY this tone?
Even if it was a “hardly impressive” number of 109, how many homes down there have you built?
109/7=15.57 per year
15.57/12=1.29 per month
I think that’s pretty good, especially since you have to also deal with all the red tape with the finances and various government agencies, local/state/federal and the family financing counseling to make sure each family has enough training, knowledge, and financial security to keep their homes for the long term.
Also, it takes a lot of workers coming to a devastated area to live there, temporarily or permanently to work on the homes as well as employees to learn how to deal with the bureaucracy and the families.
There was also a lot of trial and error involved and to learn from throughout the years, I’m sure.
One hundred and nine, 109, houses in seven years is very impressive. What was the government doing to help the people in the lower ninth ward? Nothing. The MAKE IT RIGHT workers should be very proud of themselves. I remember Brad donated five million dollars to get this started. I also remember reading that he gave incentive to some of the homeowners that if they stayed in their for five years and keep up their payment and not sell for a certain amount of years then their debt will be paid off in full. I also remember they furnished several homes free of charge. I remember a homeowner saying they were given beautiful furnitures and appliances. God bless Brad Pitt, his heart is in the right place.
Btw, there is a big parcel of land in my area that was being developed for over ten years and they are just about finish building the last three homes. They ended up building about 70 homes. I never knew it would have taken so a decade but watching the development from the turning of the soil to seeing these beautiful homes is a big learning experience. From watching what they do with measurements to sewage drainage, mapping out land electricity, Ect, Ect, Ect. Big, big job.
Brad would not recognize a blessing from God, because he does not believe in God. I am sure that some people benefited, which is always a good thing, but really now, this was more of a chance for Brad to play contractor and indulge in his hobby of architecture, while being hailed as a hero. And the project turned out to be above his pay grade, duh.
Maya needs to calm down. He, nor his wife, are heroes in real life. It’s all smoke and mirrors
ImFlying, you’re another jealous and spiteful person snarking and attacking from the sidelines. No one has ever pretended that both are perfect, but at least they try to help others. They are both more heroes than a sad and bitter negative cynic like you will ever be.
You have to remember those homes are not cookie cutter homes that they all look alike. You cannot order one thousand pieces of the exact cut of wood Ect. They are build by different architect with different styles.
Someone can build a bunch of homes in six month if the homes are pre fab. These homes are different, they are designed by great architect to look different and pleasing to the community that is why tourists are drawn to see the homes there because they are different.
That’s 109 more homes than anyone else has built.
Exactly.
I will never understand why people feel the need to comment about other’s charity work.
Wow, how sad I feel for you meme. How pathetic you are. What have you done to help others? Nothing but attack those who do something good. What a piece of work you are.
How many homes have you built for NOLA since Katrina?
How many did YOU build, did you donate one penny, of course you didn’t. But, you’re so quick to judge others that are at least trying to help. And it’s 150 to 175 houses or more, not 109.
I have to say I think BTS is about losing a child. Angelina’s character blames Brads character for the child’s death.
I also think they lost a child and they are grieving in different ways.
Brad’s character (Roland) seems to direct his sorrow by writing while Angelina’s character (Vanessa) has retreated into herself.
Roland seems to be playing the bad guy to get a reaction from Vanessa. It seems that he is trying to get her to get angry, to show some form of emotion to start the grieving process.
I love the fact that the trailer isn’t giving us any obvious clues and we are all wondering what happened.
I simply cannot wait to see the movie…
So like Rabbit Hole, the way two parents were grieving over the loss of a child from a tragic accident, and was one to blame, which was amazing, by the way, starring Nicole Kidman, which she produced it, and Aaron Eckhart.
@Jayna
you saying that there can be only one film with similar themes.. because there are many films about lose of a child and they didn’t copy off of Rabbit Hole either.
I think you are reaching .
Thank you Jayna. It sounds interesting, I will look for it on dvd.
I thought the same thing, but, I don’t know, that would be an extremely painful thing for Brad and Angie to do a film about. I know Angie said she almost didn’t take the part in Changeling because it was about a child’s kidnapping. She said that was a subject that scared her, because of her own children.
I clearly remember Brad saying this whole project of eco friendly houses is being started in New Orleans but they hope that one day it will become global. Why the snark about how this protect started?
I for once am grateful there are rich & privileged people like Brad who helps the poor people with money, ideas and time.
This is a man who knows his power and has used/uses it to make a difference in the world.
His name alone started this project and those famous architects probably wouldn’t have done this project with Brad. Yes people probably donated the money because of their faith in Brad and he has delivered that promise.
109 families have benefitted from Brad’s vision, money, time & connections and hopefully many more families will benefit in the future as well.
Meant – they wouldn’t have done this without Brad.
I admire him for wanting to try to help in some way – that is a lot more than plenty of others did. However, some of the mistakes that were made were really 101 type stuff.
Initially, they got in trouble because the homes were supposed to be designated for people who were low-income and really in dire need of housing. However, the process by which they vetted the applicants was not very good. Investigations by different media organizations found that a portion of the residents made way too much to technically qualify, but that the organization did not really vet them thoroughly, so they got in. Then they had to try to get them out, which was an issue. The investigations also uncovered that some of the residents were using the units for illegal purposes, so they had no be removed.
The other major thing I remember was that a bunch of the residents sued them over the wood. It came out that the designers of the units selected a kind of wood for the interiors that, while very nice and green, tends to absorb a lot of moisture. Which, obviously, isn’t really the best type of wood to be putting in a sub-tropical climate like New Orleans. So the homes got mold, unsurprisingly. And that caused a major issue. (ETA: I looked it up – it’s more than mold; around 25% the homes are in some degree of rot/decay because of the wood – that makes it sound slightly worse than I recalled).
Again, I give him credit for even attempting to address an issue. I just really, really hope that we work out all the kinks before they attempt it anywhere else. I also feel bad for the residents that got caught up in this well-intentioned experiment, because it sounds like they’ve born the brunt of the mistakes.
I read about that (the rotting wood) a month or so ago? All I know is that they’re suing whoever gave them the wood, lol.
The wood problem was taken care of over a year ago. As soon as they found out about the wood on the verandah was defected it was corrected.
I hadn’t heard that about the wood, just read a few articles on it now. It’s one product in particular that they’re having a problem with, and apparently the product is failing in the Northeast and other locations also. It was advertised as being rot resistant and paintable, and apparently is neither. I get the impression this was a newer product at the time MIR began specifying it. I work in a harsh climate too and we’re always hesitant about new, unproven materials here. It’s unfortunate they chose that one and it didn’t live up to its claims, but hopefully they’re taking care of it for the homeowners. That has to be frustrating though, to be in a brand new house and see materials failing like that.
There are also a lot of people all over the country, not involved with the MIR homes, who are erroneously approved for loans that they don’t actually qualify for. In fact, that was one of the largest contributors to the housing crisis a few years back, which had absolutely nothing to do with MIR. Add to that the confusion of people’s financial records being destroyed, and being forced to move out of the area for a while before rebuilding began, it’s not surprising that there were some hiccups in the beginning. I’m sure they’ve learned from their mistakes and are more thorough in their vetting process now. And I’m glad they are including financial counseling as part of the process. Too many people in general have no idea about budgeting and planning their finances. And a new home every ten days is not bad at all.
But in many cases with subprime loans, it was not a failure of vetting. The companies KNEW full well that the applicants couldn’t swing those loans and they planned to profit off the defaults. MIR simply failed to check on the applicants in any meaningful way. That’s the difference. If you’re going to spearhead a project for low-income people, it’s slightly mind-boggling that you don’t actually have a mechanism in place to check these people out. I worked in public housing for a few years and we went to the moon and back to make sure that people were actually low-income. To me, it just speaks to the argument that MIR was super-well intentioned, but badly executed. Personally, I feel like Pitt would have been better off partnering with an already established housing charity like Habitat for Humanity or something along those lines than trying it himself. Celebrities almost never make great non-profits, and this is part of why – they simply don’t get how to do it right. (And it seems like they learned, because when they helped fund a veteran’s building in New Jersey, they partnered with an established housing charity to oversee it).
The houses were repaired immediately, and it was the decking that was the problem. Do your research and state facts.
No shade from me! I think they’ve done a great job. I’m sure a large chunk of time and energy is spent on property titles, banking stuff, etc. As he said, things you don’t expect to deal with.
I think it’s great that he wants to help, and that he has given 109 families a home. I mean that sincerely. My only question is why they are trying to rebuild the ninth ward. It’s below sea level. As I understand it, it’s not a question of IF this will happen again, but WHEN. I don’t have an answer to where would they have gone, but I don’t understand the concept behind building a community in such a dangerous area. It was built there the first time because nobody cared what happened to those people and their homes. Why repeat the same mistake?
Those people have no where else to go. Don’t you think if they could go somewhere else they would?
But my point is, why didn’t Brad Pitt and New Orleans build these same people houses somewhere safer in New Orleans? Why just put them back where they were when they will be in danger of the same thing happening again? I’m not criticizing the people for not having anywhere to go. I just think if you’re building houses for them to buy at reasonable prices, relocate the whole project to a safer area.
I’m sure you noticed the houses are built to avoid flooding, but you had to be your usual passive/aggressive self, don’t change.
@Peggy, how is a house “built to avoid flooding?” The flooding isn’t caused by the houses. It’s caused by the levees breaking. I assume you meant the houses were built to withstand flooding? I have toured the area, and yes, I did notice that they are a few feet off the ground. If the levees break again, the height of the homes won’t make the slightest difference. I’m sure you noticed that the flood waters were up to the ROOF on most of those houses during the flood? How is raising them a few feet going to change that? I’m glad you’re not passive aggressive. But please change.
All the houses are designed so that if for some reason the house floods, there’s an excess to the roof, where the occupants can at least wait for help. Many died in NO in their attics, because they had no way to escape to the roof of their homes. Very sad.
People don’t want to move though. They have history there, family that still live there, and nowhere else to go.
I do admire Pitt for his work since a lot of people still don’t understand that they are rebuilding there.
That area is their home and if there is any chance of them living there they will take it.
I have family members who are from a war torn country. They know they should leave the place but they won’t do it because that’s their area. They feel that even if they die they want it to be there.
Most of the people in New Orleans probably feels the same.
I don’t understand why they keep re-building in Tornado Alley, earthquake CA, wildfire Malibu, Hurricane areas off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and up the Eastern seaboard.
I guess if we move everybody to the safest areas in the US, then we’ve have to crowd everybody into fewer states, including into the desert or mountain areas.
I’m guessing people don’t move because they have work or businesses there or family or a familiar culture or whatever there. Moving to a new area might mean more burdens upon the family, like trying to find work in an already settled and crowded area where job openings might be few. Too much competition for vacant jobs?
Do you know the size of Tornado Alley? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_Alley?
Say goodbye to American Agricultural export income if you move everyone out…: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/largest-crop-each-state_n_6488930.html. “As much as one third of all grain produced in the U.S. moves into export. In 2003 approximately $20 billion worth of grains and oilseeds were exported from the United States via this system. It is expected that over 100 million metric tons, of primarily US corn, soybeans and wheat, were handled by the US grain export system in the calendar year 2003.”
Mountain areas are also fault lines. In California the major fault line (San Andreas) is a strike-slip fault. The Utah Valley Wasatch fault is a normal fault. (http://files.geology.utah.gov/online/pdf/pi-40.pdf). It is much less active than the strike-slip fault in CA but when that area goes, geologists are very very worried.
Check what happened in Houston and Dallas for what happened when all of those Katrina refugees were moved wholesale. A people devastated by huge losses, separated from home and support communities, moving into a job market that couldn’t support the influx of people (compounded by racist and classist assumptions by the populations and governments of those cities).
And check out how much of international shipping and trade goods (especially agricultural goods) move through the ports of New Orleans and Houston, hurricane cities. Cities don’t develop along rivers and oceans because it’s really nice to live close to the water, they develop because those are natural nexus points for the movement of goods and service, and people move to get close to their jobs.
I know, I know, I’m having feelings! I just find it really difficult when people say “those people should have moved away from x-dangerous area.”
A big part of the problem was that many of the houses were built low to the ground – which obviously is no good in a flood zone. If everything they are building is raised, and stuff below is flood resistant (steps and foundations) then I think it’s OK. Ideally no one would build in floodplains, but when neighborhoods are established and people own those properties, it’s hard to change that.
I’m an architect in an area hit by Sandy, and we already had strict flood/hurricane codes, but everything new or renovated now must be raised up even higher. The flood maps here were pretty dead on accurate as to how much water came in, so everything being built above the new guidelines should be fairly safe from a 100 year flood again. All the newer stuff that was built higher did pretty well, it was the older, lower homes that just got obliterated here.
While I appreciate the thought and effort behind it, the MIR program has always seemed a little inefficient and costly to me, compared to what it could be and what some other groups have done. I think the idea of prototypes and focusing on sustainable building is great, but nearly half a million people were displaced from their homes, and I’ve always wished they’d figured out a way to implement something less expensive and faster to build.
It does sound like they’re improving it and are completing more homes at a faster pace, so hopefully they continue to do so. 10 years after Katrina there are still many people living in terrible conditions, so every house fixed or rebuilt is good.
Thank for the input from somebody there and a professional in the field. I enjoyed your post and found it informative.
Thanks Jayna.
And by the way, GNAT’s question is not uncommon at all – when Sandy hit here, MANY people questioned why people were rebuilding in a flood zone/barrier island, and saying it shouldn’t be allowed. Ideally sure, but again here like NO, it’s too late. It was already built, people have owned here for decades or paid millions for homes here, and unless the government is going to buy every single homeowner out and turn it back into a sandbar, it’s not going to happen. Hell, we have a hard time getting people to sign over easements allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to replenish dunes, even after Sandy. But I think it’s a natural question, after a big disaster.
Yes, thanks for the info. I think this is a different situation in some ways, though. The point I was trying to make is not that the people are to blame. And the situation here is unique to New Orleans. The ninth ward was built below sea level, and the Corp of Engineers swore up and down that the levees would hold during a hurricane, but they were wrong. Their incompetence or whatever it was cost these people their homes and in some cases their lives. I think the city owes them a safe place to live. And I disagree with people who say they would not want to be in a safer place in their city. I saw many, many interviews with people who said they would never go back because they would be living in fear. And did you see the ninth ward after the cleanup? There was not one house standing. It was a huge, empty space, so it’s not like they could return to their home anyway. Im not saying move them to Ohio. I just wondered why they couldn’t be moved to a safer place in the city. I think that’s owed to them after how they were treated.
Its a vital part of New Orleans, A WORLD CLASS CITY, whether anybody likes it or not.
If your neighborhood were taken out by a hurricane, I do believe you would expect it to be rebuilt. And probably a whole lot quicker than New Orleans was.
I love New Orleans. My husband and I go there every three years and what happened there broke my heart. The ninth ward was not taken out by a hurricane. New Orleans has hurricanes every year. It was taken out by the fact that New Orleans was at high tide when the hurricane blew even more water into the city, and the levees didn’t hold. They burst, flooding the parts of the city that were below sea level. This happened to be where the poorest people in the city lived, and if you think that’s a coincidence, we disagree. If the same circumstances arise, the same thing will happen. It might be in 100 years. It might be tomorrow. I am only asking why the poorest people in the city are once again being placed in jeopardy like they don’t matter. I think the city should either be able to guarantee their safety, or move the neighborhood to higher ground.
Goodnames, trust me, I know what happened, the levees failed as a result of a hurricane, they were in very shabby condition to begin with. We do agree (I agree with you frequently!) that there was no coincidence about it either.
Thank you. I guess I got a little defensive because people seemed to be taking everything I said so differently from the way I meant it, and then we have Peggy calling me names, so I was upset. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.
They didn’t repeat the same mistakes. If you look at the floor plans of the houses, they were built to be above the water line of the flood. Each design deals with various problems in different ways. And one, iirc, was built to float like a boat, though still tied to it’s lot.
It’s been a while since I looked at the floor plans but like the article says Brad wanted the designs to solve problems and be something the homeowners were proud of. These homes were completely different than what existed there previously.
~~~Edited to add: Link to an article about the floating house design.
http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2009/10/world_famous_architect_thom_ma.html
Thank you, that’s good to know. And thank you for being polite with your answer.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/gallery/photo/brad-pitt-fort-peck-5-designs-sustainable-houses-155456
Make It Right is accomplishing great things in a lot of places. I love the homes in the 9th Ward of MiR. Also, seeing the old Bancroft school in KCMO put to good use again with affordable low-income apartments/community projects. Keep up the good work, Brad and Make It Right heros! NOLA, our thoughts and prayers are still with you.
I admire him and give him credit. A lot of mistakes were made starting out and I would have thought there would have been more homes built by now, but still, they persevered and accomplished something to be proud of and that makes a difference in the lives of families who had lost their homes and are now living in one of these homes
IIRC, American engineers went to Holland to see exactly how they use their series of dams and dikes to keep the country safe. It too is below sea level, yet it remains dry.
I remember that as well and basically said when they saw the solutions there. They were completely embarrassed by the lack of technology that was in the US.
I’ve never quite understood what sets MIR apart, in a good way, from organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which seems to have a financially efficient, community oriented approach. Is it the emphasis on architecturally innovative, green homes? Because I donate to HFH, and I can’t imagine wanting to donate to a less efficient organization (even though, sure, it would be great if all houses were green). That said, I haven’t read much detail about MIR, so might be missing something. It certainly is noble to want to help the victims of Katrina.
HfH mostly benefits new homeowners. MIR and SBP typically worked to put homeowners back into homes they lost to the floodwaters.
SBP is an amazing organization. They’ve had over 100,000 volunteers and I think are closing in on 1000 families back in their homes.
Brad Pitt is an extremely wealthy, world famous celebrity who selflessly and with the reward of only personal satisfaction tackled an urban area so laid to waste that almost everyone called for it to be abandon. Whatever the measure of success, this showed wealthy celebrities who seem to find the time to only vacation and party that there are greater things to be accomplished if they’d only give a damn.
Good on you Brad!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRAD PITT FOR MAYOR!
I’m a Katrina survivor, and very thankful for the efforts of Mr Pitt and SO many other beautiful people from around the world. What you did meant so much. More than you know. Thank you.
I don’t read comments or comment here anymore as I don’t understand the need for people to attack not only the subjects in the blog but other posters as well. But having grown up in the area and being a donor for years to MIR I’ll share my knowledge of the project. Brad Pitt and his team have done/are doing a wonderful thing in an area of the city where there was abject poverty and devastation, and where recovery efforts would likely have been non existent. He’s given his time, energy, money and celebrity to bring focus and attention. He’s been able to assemble designers, architects, corporations and volunteers for YEARS to this project. He’s given tons of his time, something he didn’t have to do, his celebrity was enough. What you see in the media is only a fraction of the time that I know for a fact he devotes. He doesn’t have to parade around when in NO for attention, or call the press when in town. Were mistakes made on the project? Of course there were, when you involve multiple levels of government like HUD, the EPA, loan entities, and who knows what else, it complicates any project. As others have said, MIR is part of a bigger project and is intended to be a learning model to replicate in areas around the country. Pitt’s team gave these people hope, a sense of pride, and renewed interest in their lives which is a massive accomplishment given what they were facing because it’s very likely they lost everything. For those of you who don’t understand why these home were built in an area that can continue to flood, you can pretty much say that about all of NO; or any region where natural disasters are recurring. This area has been these people’s homes for generations, they don’t want to leave, they want to go back; just as many Syrians are trying to go back to their country, even when it’s likely there is no home to go back to and face ongoing war and devestation.
Whatever you think of Brad Pitt, and whether you think he’s an attention seeker, I assure you there are many other, easier ways to accomplish that narrsisstic need. Even if you do believe this was all for his own attention efforts, good for him. He brought many other celebrities to help promote and help his cause, and has raised a lot of money where it is likely none would have been given. I wish we would see efforts like this from other celebrities, to help raise awareness so people pull out their wallets and give $5 or their time.
@ Mmtahoe
Thanks for your post 🙂
Make It Right built some houses. So did St. Bernard Project. They should be commended for their efforts here. No non-profit is immune from critique, and I think it’s great that he’s so candid about the experience.
(And let’s contrast what MIR did here versus what the Red Cross did in Haiti. The difference is STAGGERING.)
The bigger issue here in New Orleans is access to affordable housing. Housing prices have jumped 46% here since 2005. FORTY. SIX. PERCENT. The folks MIR and SBP meant to help can’t actually afford to live here now.
But it’s cool, right, because we have AirBNB everywhere for all of the wealthy tourists?
Sigh.
Erm, those wealthy tourists bring money to your economy? Would you rather they go to Vegas?
It doesn’t really help if you price out the locals! You’re not visiting for the mosquitoes after all! 🙂
Really? Are you this asinine? Red Cross is a MULTI-LEVEL GLOBAL organisation employing thousands of people with millions of others volunteers and hundreds and hundreds of millions/billions in revenue. You are going to reach that flippin far, to compare that, with a very small, nay tiny local organisation? Really? Do you people just rush in here ready to snark and criticise and don’t put your brain into gear? smh
Morc, BelleNOLA nailed it. We want tourists – it’s a cornerstone of our local economy. But unlicensed lodgings don’t benefit the local infrastructure, and they create less housing for the people who serve the wealthy tourists. MIR is not a hot-button topic here in the community, not really. They’re great, but they’re a blip on the local radar, given the increase in armed robberies/sexual assault, the charter school controversies, ongoing gentrification pushing out low-income residents, etc…this is a minor success since Katrina. It should be lauded. It should also be kept in perspective, given how little has really changed in a state and city rife with so much corruption.
Tarsha – I must really be this asinine, as a longtime nonprofit employee in the Greater New Orleans area. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in my analogy, but we’ve all seen the NPR report on what the Red Cross did/didn’t do with Haiti relief funds. Overhead and ombudsmanship are issues within any nonprofit organization, but it doesn’t take a subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy to acknowledge that some organizations allocate their resources more productively to fulfill their mission than others. But I’ll just be over here, being ignorant and what not, because, you know, ad hominem is always the best way to encourage helpful discussion!
Well I apologise Cait. I read your post as pure snark and nastiness, and I was wrong. I’m sorry.
Went on a tour that inc’d the 9th ward in May. My host was a son of Willie Mae of Willie Mae’s Scotch House. He said the wood issue was identified and fixed. He said people loved the homes but as with a lot of things, the vetting process for ownership wasn’t perfect. Once people saw how nice the houses turned out, somehow some who were not low income, wete allowed to buy. But, the foljs of NO lauded Brad’s efforts.There are plenty of empty lots where houses once stood and people didn’t want to rebuild. But, some folks did return and rebuild. I pray that the levees never break again!
The Musicians Village, championed by Harry Connick Jr. & Bradford Marsalis also helped rebuild homes in the area.
There is still plenty of work to be done there!