I don’t know which is more symbolic – the village of pink house-like structures in the Lower 9th Ward or the village of tents in front of City Hall. I wish I could say the hope of Brad Pitt’s “Make It Right” project outshines the reality of the homeless community in Duncan Plaza, but I guess it’s the contrast itself that says the most about post-Katrina New Orleans.
Let’s start with the good news. Brad Pitt is bringing some much needed positive attention to the city. His environmentally-friendly “Make It Right” project is intentionally symbolic, if not poetic. The poetry started as an exhibition of pink blocks “scattered by fate’s hand” across the same corner of the Lower 9th Ward where a runaway barge had parked itself in the aftermath of Katrina.
Donors are invited to participate in assembling the giant monopoly houses piece by piece, as three-dimensional tangram puzzles. The full adoption and assembly of a home is a metaphor for “righting the wrong” suffered by the residents. Pitt’s goal is for 150 homes to be adopted in the next five weeks, which would symbolically reassemble the 12-block area. Construction of the permanent homes is scheduled to begin in March.
While the main purpose of the art display is to draw media attention, and ultimately raise funds, the project also serves as a holiday driving tour. At night, the blocks are illuminated by solar power, alongside 1,000 small lights, which represent the New Orleans residents who died during Katrina.
About five miles away, in downtown New Orleans, a different story is being told. Many of New Orleans’ homeless are camped in front of City Hall, waiting for any sign of hope. With the shortage of affordable housing in the area, tents are about the best shelter some of these citizens can find.
UNITY of Greater New Orleans, a nonprofit homeless-service organization, estimates the homeless population in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish has doubled to 12,000 since Katrina. And that number could be growing even larger, as more citizens are being evicted from FEMA trailers and from houses in blighted neighborhoods.
UNITY and other nonprofits are trying to counteract this trend. Unfortunately, funding remains bureaucratically strapped, and federal aid awaits appropriation. Fronting money from their operating budget, UNITY was able to find permanent housing for 88 of the homeless campers at Duncan Plaza.
Other homeless citizens continue to live in their Duncan Plaza tents, as a visible symbol right outside of City Hall’s front windows. At least Mayor Nagin can now find a more promising symbol by taking a driving tour through the Lower 9th Ward.
The contrast between Pitt’s “Make It Right” and the homeless camp in City Hall’s front yard speaks to the tireless efforts of the citizens of New Orleans, Pitt included, working toward our city’s recovery. It also speaks to the relative ineffectiveness of our government in this effort.
