At the beginning of 1934, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia founded the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). It was a moment of great need in the city, as its poorer residents struggled with a shortage of affordable homes amidst the pressures of the Great Depression. The state had just amended its housing laws of 1924, allowing the establishment of municipal housing authorities. The federal government was also moving to address issues like living standards and affordability, and the 1930s were a time of change and improvement in the availability of safe, sanitary, and economical residences for the poor and working class.