Hurricane Katrina was one of the most pronounced ecological disasters in American history, and when Brad Pitt started a non-profit called the Make It Right Foundation, their first stated mission was building houses in New Orleans at the Lower Ninth Ward. But the project ended up cutting corners considerably, putting the people affected by the hurricane in new health risks, and legal repercussions have followed Pitt and his foundation ever since.
At first, everything seemed to be going great. Pitt used his considerable celebrity power to invite his celebrity friends to raise funds in a concert dubbed “A Night To Make It Right.” That night alone, they were able to raise $5 million. Through other means, they also raised almost $27 million, and by 2015 they had built 109 homes in New Orleans at an average cost of $250,000 per home. They then sold each house at $150,000. The houses initially looked gorgeous and even became a tourist attraction for some time. But that didn’t last long.
