Charlestown public housing

Abstract: Footage of the building which houses the offices of the Boston Housing Authority in Charlestown. Footage of rundown buildings in the Bunker Hill Housing Project in Charlestown. Many of the buildings have boarded up windows or broken windows. Trash is visible along the sidewalks and walkways in front of the buildings. Shots of a series of photographs of a meeting between Joseph Timilty (State Senator) and Jimmy Carter (US President).John Vitagliano (Boston Housing Inspection Commissioner) is interviewed in his office by Marjorie Arons (WGBH reporter). Vitagliano says that the city of Boston must renovate its existing public housing instead of building new public housing. Vitagliano believes that a program of private-housing subsidies would be superior to the present public housing program. Vitagliano says that the disastrous environment in public housing developments contributes to a cycle of poverty; that public-housing tenants and private landlords would benefit from a private-housing subsidies program. Vitagliano suggests that public-housing projects be shut down and sold to private developers. Vitagliano admits that Boston's public housing projects are de facto segregated.

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