In 1936, the Louisiana Legislature passed the Housing Authority Act, allowing for the creation of the Housing Authority of New Orleans and paving the way for the city to participate in the national low-rent housing program. Some of the first developments broke ground between 1938-1940 over slums and old stores in the Tremé and Uptown area. The Lafitte, Magnolia, Calliope and St Bernard known as the big four all opened in 1941 to black families. St Thomas and the Iberville developments opened for whites in 1942. In the 1950s the Florida and Desire developments opened in the 9th Ward neighborhoods with the Desire for blacks and Florida for whites. Families of the Desire claimed that the new project was run-down while the Florida was nicely built in good condition. Between 1961-1964 HANO construed two more housing projects for low income black families. The Melpomene housing project opened in 1964 in Central City with the Fischer opening in 1965 in Algiers. Both projects contained a high-rise building and an elementary school. The Last HANO development Christopher Homes was built in 1970 and was occupied with low income black families in Algiers. By the early 1970s, the projects have severely declined with crime being the main problem. Residents complained to HANO and the state for funding but no money was funded to renovate the run-down developments. Certain projects where so bad police refused to enter them fearing for their lives. Other projects like the Iberville remained quiet and had a very little crime until Hurricane Katrina. Drugs like heroin played a major role in corruption as well as abandonment of law enforcement. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s violent crimes and murders made New Orleans projects one of the deadliest in the country with an average of 40% of the city's killings taking place in public housing projects.