[Brad] Pitt needs money to rebuild New Orleans

Associated Press ^ | December 3, 2007

[Zakeet]

NEW YORK - Brad Pitt expects the foundations to be built for at least 150 eco-friendly homes in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward by the end of next summer.

[Snip]

The initiative, called Make It Right, is Pitt's latest effort to help the area recover from Hurricane Katrina. Pitt has also worked with the environmental organization Global Green USA to build five single-family homes and an 18-unit apartment complex and community center; earlier this year, he and Angelina Jolie purchased a mansion in the city's French Quarter for $3.5 million.

Pitt has pledged $5 million of his own money toward the project and — calling himself "not much of a salesman" — was campaigning for more donations for the cause.

[Snip]

Pitt has teamed up with 13 architects for the project, and explained that each home will be built on stilts as a precaution against the threat of flooding. He said design requirements for the homes were "affordability, sustainability, safety — and that they be beautiful."

[untrained skeptic]

"I mean, this is really an adopt-a-house campaign," he said. "I'm asking for foundations, for high net-worth individuals, for church groups, for corporations to come in and adopt a house — basically, $150,000 will get a family back in their home."

$150,000 per home to build low cost housing on existing land in a poor area?

Someone is apparently making a nice bit of money off of this little venture.

I'm not suggesting that Penn is scamming people, but it appears to me that the idiot is getting scammed and trying to drag in others.

[Allegra]

Kinda, He wants homes that float when necessary...............

And there's always the chance that the home could float into a better neighborhood.

[SF Republican]

I wonder why they don’t build them like my house, garage below, house above; if it floods, open doors and windows in the back, open the garage door in the front and let the water flow through. Use steel/aluminum studs, at worst you have to replace gypsum board.

[syriacus]

Pitt has teamed up with 13 architects for the project, and explained that each home will be built on stilts as a precaution against the threat of flooding. He said design requirements for the homes were "affordability, sustainability, safety — and that they be beautiful."

Remember to provide inflatable lifeboats for each domicile.

After all, some localities insist on fire escapes for certain buildings.

How many lives would have been saved, after Katrina, if the NO city council had insisted on inflatable life boats?

[stevie_d_64]

I agree...We did not, nor did we expect to get any help financially from anyone government or private corporation after T.S. Allison in June of 2001...

All we received from the Red Cross was a bucket, sponge and mop, and a pat on the back...

Again, not that we were expecting anything...But since it was Houston, I just don’t know anymore...

Maybe we were better off not getting much help...

These people need to get off their own butts and get it together...If we can do it without a handout, they can do it likewise...

[brownsfan]

“Speaking as a high net worth individual, no. Not if they’re going to go to welfare careerists.”

Hey, if you contribute to my home renovation fund, I promise I’ll stay off of welfare! :)

[rightinthemiddle]

"Make It Right." No pretty boys allowed.

[CDHart]

"I just don’t appreciate requests for me to spend my money to help people build homes in a place like that."

Especially when we've already been forced to donate federal money (our tax money) to pay for strip clubs and FEMA trailers that are sitting rotting away.

Carolyn

[inflorida]

I expect at any moment some of our female FReepers to vote “not guilty.”

Definitely NOT GUILTY :-p

[Graybeard58]

Somewhere they could get away from the crime, drugs, and flood danger

They might be away from the danger of flood but that crime and drug thing travels well.

[misterrob]

You Called?

[infidel29]

The "Brangelinas" have their hearts in the right place, it's their brains that I question.

God bless them for the work they do in comparison to the rest of Hollywood.

[Xenalyte]

What you said!

[bert]

Been there.....Done that

[Spok]

An admirable gesture-at least he’s willing to put HIS OWN money where his mouth is, unlike most Liberals who just want to spend other people’s money. But if you look back on the Habitat for Humanity beneficiaries in 5 years or so, either the house is trashed or has been sold, and the recipients continue to live in squalor.

[freekitty]

He’s got plenty; so let him put his money where his mouth is and do it himself instead of trying to use someone else’s money.

[Hildy]

it’s his money...if he wants to build there, I say good for him. You’re right, he’s putting his money where his mouth is. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall when he finds out all the environmental restrictions he’s going to come against. $150,000???? We’ll see. But I hope it works. I’m rooting for him, not against him like so many will.

[texgal]

My daughter and her husband live in New Orleans and own a home there.

Brad wants $150,000 to replace homes in the 9th ward that were in terrible condition in the first place and were not insured. I've got a problem with that, especially if they want the federal government to give one more dime.

If you haven't been to New Orleans since the hurricane, it's not nearly as bad as all the whining would indicate. While it's true the projects have not been touched, they probably shouldn't be rebuilt.

The rest of the city is coming back, slowly, but it's coming back.

Even though my daughter lives there I'm not a fan of New Orleans (neither is she) - it's my belief that God gave the place a well needed bath and gave some people the opportunity to escape that place.

[a real Sheila]

I think the powers that be have aspirations to take that blighted area and turn it into a gambling and convention area. Would be quite funny if the idiots who voted for “school bus Nagin” ended up getting screwed over by him in this manner.

[a real Sheila]

blech!
Spewed my monitor!
That is SOOOOOOO DISGUSTING!!!