Brad Pitt’s foundation pays $20 million to landlords of substandard housing

It’s a dream that turned into a fiasco. In a devastated neighborhood of New Orleans (USA), a hundred homes (see photos in main illustration and below) have been built to be made available to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The seller, however, was more than promising: it was the American film actor brad pitt. The American star had promised them avant-garde and sustainable homes. The reality turned out to be much less idyllic.

Once there, the new owners were confronted with numerous poor workmanship: water infiltration, mould, collapsing handrails, fires caused by electrical problems, faulty plumbing and ventilation… And to think that the houses were new! In less than 10 years, the houses have almost all fallen into disrepair. So much so that, as reported The Guardianalready six of them have been abandoned by their occupants.

The owners filed a class action lawsuit in 2018 against Brad Pitt, who has long denied responsibility for the construction work, and his charity Make It Right, which was set up to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thirteen years after moving in, the two parties let it be known, via their lawyer, that they had finally reached an agreement. The victims will receive a check for 20.5 million dollars (more than 20 million euros) from not Make It Right, now defunct, but from Global Green, an environmental association supported by Brad Pitt, reports The Guardian. The entire sum will be used to repair and renovate the houses, assures the plaintiffs’ lawyer.

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The deal still needs to be approved by the court. Until it is finalized, it is the end of a long nightmare for these victims of Hurricane Katrina. This announcement causedtears of joy“among the owners”who have suffered for a long timesaid Ron Austin, their lawyer. “They did not have the option of moving and buying or renting a second home. It was their savings and they lived in rapidly deteriorating housing. They are relieved“. According to the lawyer, despite this disaster, most of these owners did not stop admiring the American actor.