Award-winning actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation reportedly has to pay Hurricane Katrina survivors $20.5 million in a recent settlement.
The foundation agreed to pay $20.5 million to 107 New Orleans residents–despite only six being named in the lawsuit–after the houses they built for them were discovered to be poorly constructed. Pending a judge’s approval, the residents will reportedly be entitled to a $25,000 reimbursement for repairs to their homes. After lawyer fees are paid, the remainder of the money will be split according to the state of their houses which have been affected by rot, leaks, and other issues. The funds will also reportedly be handled by a California-based nonprofit organization that is “devoted to ecological concerns,” called Global Green.
Settlement papers additionally noted that responsibility for the home’s defects has been “vigorously contested.”
“I am incredibly grateful for Global Green’s willingness to step up and provide this important support for the Lower Ninth families,” Pitt said in a statement. “We collaborated in the early days post-Katrina, and we are very fortunate to have Global Green’s generous continuing commitment to help address the challenges around these homes and others in need.”
The actor reportedly formed Make It Right Foundation to assist New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward residents in 2007, after they lost their homes to Katrina in 2005. The foundation’s goal was to replace lost housing in the Ward with 150 avant-garde living spaces that were storm-proof.
In 2015, residents of the then-newly built homes sued the makers of the water-resistant wood Make It Right builders used for $500,000 because it wasn’t effective. Three years later, in 2018, the homeowners sued The Make It Right Foundation again for fraud, breach of contract, building practices and defective design.
“Hopefully, this agreement will allow everyone to look ahead to other opportunities to continue to strengthen this proud community in the future,” Pitt said.
