The Times-Picayune ' The New Orleans Advocate reported Wednesday that, pending approval by a judge, each of the program's 107 homeowners will be eligible to receive $25,000 as reimbursement for previous repairs of the shoddy homes. Under the settlement reached Tuesday evening, the remaining money is to be divided up according to the condition of each of the structures.
In 2007, two years after Katrina devastated Louisiana's most populous city, the Hollywood celebrity founded the futuristic housing development organization. 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.
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.