FHA loan is a mortgage loan in the United States insured by the Federal Housing Administration . The loan may be issued by federally-qualified lenders.

FHA loans have historically allowed lower income Americans to borrow money for the purchase of a home that they would not otherwise be able to afford. The program originated during the Great Depression of the 1930s , when the rates of foreclosures and defaults rose sharply, and the program was intended to provide lenders with sufficient insurance . Some FHA programs were subsidized by government, but the goal was to make it self-supporting, based on insurance premiums paid by borrowers.

Over time, private mortgage insurance (PMI) companies came into play, and now FHA primarily serves people who cannot afford a conventional down payment or otherwise do not qualify for PMI insurance.