Jim Vitarello part 2 Spanish transcript, 2022-06-05
Scope and Contents
D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.
Dates
- Creation: 2022-06-05
Creator
- Adair, Kristin (Person)
Language of Materials
Spanish
Biographical / Historical
Jim Vitarello came to D.C. to study law at the George Washington University, where he received his JD in 1969. He subsequently worked in the Office of the General Counsel at HUD and then became the executive director of the D.C. Public Interest Research Group, a Ralph Nader affiliate organization. He conducted two major studies about the impact of redlining by banks in the District of Columbia. His findings were featured in the Washington Post and cited by the Senate Banking Committee as part of its passage of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act in 1975 and the Community Reinvestment Act in 1977. He also served as director of the D.C. Residential Mortgage Commission, the D.C. Neighborhood Reinvestment Commission, the National Commission on Neighborhoods, and later as Community Development Specialist at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Subsequently, he served as Senior Housing Specialist at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for 23 years.
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Abstract
In the second part of his interview, Jim Vitarello talks further about his Catholic faith and how it has impacted his lifestyle and work. Vitarello discusses key figures in D.C. history, including Walter Fauntroy and his experience working for Congressman Silvio Conte during law school and at HUD as a young lawyer. Vitarello speaks in detail about credit availability in the disinvested neighborhood of Adams Morgan, the role of banks and Savings and Loans and his work towards more equitable lending, including passage of the Community Reinvestment Act. Finally, he discusses the SandL crisis and mortgage crisis and how it has impacted low income and people of color.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository