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Troy LePage, EVP and COO A nationwide insurance crisis in the mid-1980s left public housing authorities struggling to obtain affordable, reliable coverage through the traditional market. In response, a group of housing authorities joined forces and established Housing Authority Risk Retention Group (HARRG) in 1987 under the Federal Risk Retention Act. Over the decades, HARRG evolved into a family of specialized companies that collectively form HAI Group today—a leading insurance carrier dedicated to serving the public and affordable housing sector.
HAI Group initially focused on public housing, but as housing providers transitioned significant portions of their portfolios to affordable housing, the organization evolved alongside them. It launched new companies and introduced specialized coverages to meet their changing requirements.
HAI Group’s in-house agency offers a single point of contact for all insurance needs. The integrated approach allows housing providers to devote more time to serving residents. At the same time, HAI Group delivers proactive risk management, member-driven innovation and tailored support for the long-term sustainability of public and affordable housing.
“What truly differentiates us is that we have evolved alongside the changing needs of the industry for the past 40 years and we continue to do so,” says Troy LePage, EVP and COO.
Unlike traditional insurers, HAI Group is owned and governed by the housing organizations it serves. Member organizations actively participate on boards and committees, bringing firsthand perspectives on industry challenges. This governance model gives HAI Group early visibility into emerging trends, enabling it to anticipate evolving risks and respond with timely, member-informed solutions.
Adapting to a More Complex Housing Risk Environment
Public housing was once a relatively straightforward risk to insure—a building, an address, a defined scope. Today, RAD conversions, Section 8 voucher administration and a difficult-to-navigate regulatory environment have fundamentally changed housing authorities’ operational responsibilities.
While many competing insurers have withdrawn from the market entirely due to growing complexity, HAI Group continues to stand by housing providers through every market cycle, delivering consistent support even during periods of uncertainty.
The increasing complexity of housing operations is only one part of the story. Cybersecurity insurance, a coverage line that didn’t exist 40 years ago, is one example of how the risk landscape has shifted. While HAI Group does not underwrite cybersecurity insurance directly, the company recognized the growing challenge policyholders face from evolving cyber threats and a complex cyber insurance market, and developed a program to help make access to coverage easier through a network of trusted partners.
Housing authorities also face the ongoing challenge of preserving aging properties. To help members manage the associated risks, HAI Group provides risk-control resources and financial assistance for property improvement. Its Loss Prevention Fund, a competitive annual reimbursement program for members, has directed $15 million toward property improvement projects for members, from updating aging electrical systems to installing stovetop fire-suppression devices. In habitational housing, where cooking fires remain a persistent concern, the program has helped housing authorities keep their infrastructure sustainable and improve resident safety.
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Our priority isn't profitability or maximizing shareholder returns. It is to ensure that our clients have access to sustainable insurance solutions at reasonable rates and a partner that remains committed through every insurance cycle.
HAI Group goes above and beyond to guarantee the resilience of the housing stock it serves. When a roof is damaged under its property program, Housing Authority Property Insurance, the organization automatically replaces it with hurricane-resistant shingles at no additional premium. The practice is not limited to hurricane-prone regions and is applied consistently across the program.
“Our priority isn't profitability or maximizing shareholder returns,” says LePage. “It is to ensure that our clients have access to sustainable insurance solutions at reasonable rates and a partner that remains committed through every insurance cycle.”
A Collaborative Approach to Risk Control
While many organizations approach risk control as a transactional process, HAI Group views it as an ongoing partnership with housing providers. Identifying a risk is only the starting point. Equal importance is placed on evaluating the most effective corrective approach, weighing alternative solutions and understanding the long-term impact each decision may have on a property's resilience and operating costs.
For HAI Group, insurance is not a product; it is a promise. Fulfilling that promise requires people who understand the housing industry, know their members and are prepared to help them navigate whatever challenges come their way. Its risk-control professionals and account executives work closely with housing providers, often building relationships that span decades.
HAI Group maintains around-the-clock access to experienced professionals who can respond immediately when emergencies occur and has never outsourced its claims operation. Instead of routing members through a queue, they are directly connected with someone who understands their organization, properties and operating environment.
It also helps members identify potential coverage gaps before they become costly problems. In one instance, a new member discovered several occupied properties had been omitted from a previous insurance program after HAI Group conducted a comprehensive review of its portfolio.
Through its Housing Training Institute (HTI), a risk-management and workforce-development platform, HAI Group helps housing authorities strengthen workforce capabilities across multiple functions and build safer, more resilient organizations. HTI offers employee onboarding resources, compliance and harassment training, educational programs for maintenance teams and learning opportunities for residents.
HAI Group also helps housing authorities spend less time navigating insurance-related concerns and more time focusing on the communities they serve.
Expanding Impact Beyond Insurance Services
HAI Group’s focus is the long-term sustainability of public and affordable housing, with insurance serving as just one component of a broader commitment. Research, training, scholarships and advocacy are equally important pillars of its work.
Giving back to the community has always been top-of-mind for HAI Group. The equity its members have built over nearly four decades is increasingly being reinvested into the communities they serve.
Through its Resident Scholarship Program, HAI Group has awarded more than $2 million to public housing residents, helping them pursue educational opportunities and build brighter futures. Every year, it also partners with a housing authority on community initiatives, with employees supporting programs that directly benefit residents, including back-to-school backpack drives.
HAI Group recognizes that public and affordable housing still faces longstanding stigmas that threaten the sector's sustainability as much as insurance-related challenges. Research has become an important part of its efforts to challenge misconceptions and help shift perceptions of public and affordable housing across the country.
Investment in research and member-focused initiatives remains vital as HAI Group continues to leverage its national footprint to identify emerging trends across jurisdictions. By sharing those insights with members, it is proactively preparing them to navigate an increasingly complex operating environment and manage risk with confidence.
The recognition of Public and Affordable Housing Insurance Service Company of the Year reflects HAI Group's commitment to advancing long-term housing sustainability.
Choosing Insurance for Public and Affordable Housing
Public and affordable housing providers face an insurance market shaped by aging properties, rising repair costs, complex funding models and exposure patterns that many standard carriers struggle to understand. A provider responsible for residents, assets, compliance obligations and public trust cannot treat insurance as a once-a-year purchase. It needs coverage that reflects how housing actually works: mixed portfolios, voucher programs, RAD conversions, tax-credit projects, nonprofit ownership structures and the practical reality of keeping people safely housed while budgets remain constrained.
A suitable insurance partner in this field is not simply the carrier that can quote a policy. It is one that has made housing its central business and can remain present through hard markets, litigation pressure, shifting regulation and capital strain. Carrier continuity matters because housing organizations cannot easily replace institutional knowledge when coverage becomes scarce. A disciplined provider should understand habitational risk at the property level, but it should also read the broader pattern: older building stock, resident safety concerns, cyber exposure, equipment breakdown, construction activity and the legal environment across jurisdictions. That breadth helps buyers avoid narrow placement decisions that solve one renewal problem while leaving deeper risk gaps unresolved.
Risk control should also be embedded into the relationship rather than reduced to inspection reports. Affordable housing providers need guidance that helps them prevent losses, strengthen employee awareness and choose practical fixes before small issues become costly claims. Training, resident education, physical safety reviews, loss-prevention support and claims learning all become part of the value. This matters because risk management in housing is inseparable from community stability. A roof repair, fire-prevention upgrade or cybersecurity measure is not only an insurance concern; it protects residents and preserves limited housing capacity. The right partner helps housing leaders turn insurance data into steady prevention work, not another administrative file opened only after damage occurs.
Service design carries equal weight. Housing teams are often managing development schedules, resident needs, funding requirements and emergency events at once. Their insurer should reduce friction when closings shift, builder’s risk needs arise, properties are missed from a schedule or a claim happens after hours. The most useful partners combine coverage access, housing-specific advice, agency coordination and responsive claims handling so buyers are not left managing separate vendors during a stressful moment. That model is especially important for organizations that require property, casualty, liability, auto, equipment breakdown, cyber placement, staff training and risk support across a changing portfolio.
For executives evaluating public and affordable housing insurance, HAI Group offers a particularly strong fit. It was created by housing organizations and remains governed by the sector it serves, giving its model direct alignment with buyer needs. Its public housing programs cover HUD-required and recommended lines including general liability, public officials, flood, property, auto and equipment breakdown, while its affordable housing programs support nonprofit, for-profit, mixed-income, LIHTC and RAD-related portfolios. Its risk control resources, Housing Training Institute, research activity, in-house claims function and agency support make it more than a policy source. For buyers that need steady coverage and housing-specific guidance, HAI Group is the premier choice.
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