The project seemed cutting-edge, if not utopian. Architects like Frank Gehry, David Adjaye and Shigeru Ban helped design the houses, which incorporated next-gen features like solar panel roofs, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and sustainable materials. And each house would be sold well below cost: $150,000.
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But almost as soon as the camera crews left and they began settling in, the issues became apparent. Some houses had flat roofs and lacked basic features like rain gutters, overhangs, covered beams, or waterproof paint to weather New Orleans’ torrential downpours. Within weeks, houses began to develop mold, leaks and rot.
In early 2022, it was reported that only 6 of the 109 Make It Right houses remained in what an urban-studies researcher deemed to be "reasonably good shape."