The 'National Housing Act of 1934' was passed during the
Great Depression in order to make
housing and home
mortgages more affordable. It created the
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the
Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation.
It was designed to stop the tide of bank foreclosures on family homes. Both the FHA and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation worked to create the backbone of the mortgage and home-building industries. Some unintended consequences were that it did little to improve
inner city housing, it intensified
segregation of races, and further promoted the single family detached dwelling as the prevailing mode of housing, which furthered the phenomenon of
suburban sprawl.
Sources
HUD Historical Background