History

In the mid-1980s, the public housing community faced a crisis. Insurance companies did not want to provide coverage. They considered public housing authorities a bad risk and raised premiums to unaffordable levels.

In 1985, the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities held a meeting in Chicago to find a solution. After two years of studies, surveys, and meetings, that solution emerged -- the Housing Authority Risk Retention Group (HARRG).

HARRG is a member organization-owned by the housing authorities it insures. Over time, the company evolved from a single risk retention group into a group of companies that provide a full line of coverage and related services under the umbrella company, HAI Group. HAI Group is made up of eight different companies including: Housing Authority Risk Retention Group, Inc. (HARRG), which provides liability coverage; Housing Authority Property Insurance, A Mutual Company (HAPI), which provides property insurance; and Housing Telecommunications Inc. (HTI), which provides distance learning through Internet technology.