The Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), also known as Ginnie Mae, was established in 1968 as a wholly-owned government corporation within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Ginnie Mae's mission is to support expanded affordable housing in America by providing liquidity and stability to the mortgage market. Ginnie Mae guarantees mortgage-backed securities (MBS) backed by federally insured or guaranteed loans, mainly loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service. Ginnie Mae is headquartered in Washington, D.C.