Make It Right Makes Progress Rebuilding New Orleans Lower 9th Ward

Celebration, Remembrance, Redoubling of Commitment Four Years after Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Make It Right is keeping Brad Pitt's
promise to New Orleans. Almost two years ago, the actor pledged to build 150
affordable, green homes in the Lower 9th Ward, the neighborhood hardest hit by
Hurricane Katrina and the flooding it caused. Today, on the fourth anniversary
of the storm, 14 families are living in homes built by Pitt's Make It Right
Foundation. Nineteen homes are currently under construction on the site and 49
families are in the process of becoming Make It Right homeowners.

"New Orleans has come a long way since the storm. And Make It Right is proud
to be part of the rebuilding of a great city, and part of a nonprofit
community that has been integral to New Orleans' recovery," explained Tom
Darden, executive director of Make It Right.

"But while progress should be celebrated, the anniversary of Katrina is also a
time to honor the lives lost and to remind the rest of America the work here
is far from done," Darden added. According to the latest Greater New Orleans
Data Center, close to 80% of the city is back overall. But in the poorest
neighborhoods, the numbers are much lower. In the Lower 9th Ward, only 19% of
the residents have come home.

Make It Right is working to address the reasons that residents have not
returned - including increasing the amount of affordable housing available,
increasing the sustainability of the neighborhood and investing in
infrastructure repairs and improvements.

In coming months, Make It Right will break ground on duplex homes that will
give neighbors returning to the area a flexible housing option. All Make It
Right homes include a number of safety features designed to weather the next
storm - such as elevation well above the flood plain and impact resistant
glass or hurricane fabric to protect windows. In addition, Make It Right
recently worked with the Louisiana Recovery Disaster Fund (LRDF) to plant 30
rainwater and urban gardens on the site and at schools and community centers
in the Lower 9th Ward and other New Orleans neighborhoods.

"We are trying to build 150 green, affordable homes and more - we are trying
to help bring a unique community back to life," Darden noted.

Make It Right will host three anniversary events Saturday, August 29, at the
Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp Street, New Orleans:

3 - 5 p.m. "Disaster to Opportunity" Discussion
An acclaimed panel of experts will engage in a forward-thinking discussion of
the lessons learned rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and other natural
disasters.

6 - 7 p.m. Patron Party
Music by Charmaine Neville and Ravi Coltrane, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and
desserts in a setting that allows engagement with local, national and
international Make It Right architects, as well as a close up view of models
of the new Make It Right duplexes designed for the Lower 9th Ward.

7 - 9 p.m. General Reception
Music, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and dessert.

The Make It Right Foundation is committed to building 150 energy efficient,
solar powered, storm resistant homes in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward, a
neighborhood wiped out by Hurricane Katrina and the breach of the Industrial
Canal levee. The Foundation began in December 2007 as a collaboration between
actor Brad Pitt, Graft Architects, Cherokee Gives Back and William McDonough +
Partners*. Today 33 families are either living in a Make It Right home or have
one under construction. Another 49 Lower 9th Ward families are in the process
of becoming a Make It Right homeowner. For more information:
www.makeitrightnola.org

SOURCE Make It Right

Anna Corin Koehl, +1-504-524-3342, +1-504-491-7224, akoehl@e-bmf.com, for Make
It Right; or Kim Haddow of Make It Right, +1-504-620-3239,
khaddow@makeitrightnola.org