--- title: "A Shared Commitment to Affordable Housing: RLJ Management’s Relationship with HAI Group" description: Learn how RLJ Management’s relationship with HAI Group supports affordable housing through insurance, risk management, training, and research. image: https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/DSC01463-2.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.haigroup.com/a-shared-commitment-to-affordable-housing-rlj-managements-relationship-with-hai-group#main-content) [![hai-logo-KO-256px](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/hai-logo-KO-256px.png?width=256&height=57&name=hai-logo-KO-256px.png "hai-logo-KO-256px")](https://www.haigroup.com/) - SEARCH - [Insurance](https://blog.haigroup.com/tag/insurance), - [Public Housing](https://blog.haigroup.com/tag/public-housing), - [Affordable Housing](https://blog.haigroup.com/tag/affordable-housing) # A Shared Commitment to Affordable Housing: RLJ Management’s Relationship with HAI Group ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/DSC01463-2.jpg) - October 23, 2026 ![Mike Torelli | Manager, Marketing and Communications | HAI Group](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/MikeTorelli_Edited-1.jpeg) [Mike Torelli | Manager, Marketing and Communications | HAI Group](https://blog.haigroup.com/author/mike-torelli) [\< Back to Resource Center](https://blog.haigroup.com) When Steven J. Boone talks about HAI Group, he starts with something simple: someone answers the phone. That accessibility matters at RLJ Management, where his team oversees management, compliance, and accounting for approximately 245 affordable housing properties across 12 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company’s relationship with HAI Group began with coverage for several properties and grew over the following years. Today, Boone points to property visits, risk management recommendations, and connections to training and research as valuable parts of that relationship. “It’s nice to have people you can talk to that are consistent,” Boone said. ## More than four decades serving affordable housing ![DSC01467](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DSC01467.jpg?width=500&height=395&name=DSC01467.jpg) *RLJ Management's Zanesville Lofts, located in Zanesville, Ohio.* [RLJ Management has operated since 1984](https://rljmgt.com/), managing affordable housing for seniors, families, and people with disabilities. [A significant portion of its portfolio](https://rljmgt.com/properties/) was developed through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, and the company works with affiliated property owners, independent owners, and nonprofit boards.   Boone joined RLJ in 1984. He took ownership of RLJ in 1989, building an operation focused on the needs of residents, owners, and investors. For Boone, that work starts with recognizing the importance of a stable home. “I believe that housing is as basic a need for families as food and water,” he said. ## A relationship that grew property by property RLJ’s relationship with HAI Group developed through an introduction [from its insurance agency, Scott Insurance](https://www.scottins.com/). Nathan Kerr, president of Scott Insurance, worked with Senior Business Development Consultant John Welch and Account Services Regional Manager Nathan Tripler when establishing RLJ’s relationship with HAI Group.   Boone said HAI Group initially insured several properties and later added more in subsequent years. As that relationship grew, one quality stood out: accessibility. “They picked up the phone and talked to you,” Boone said. For a company managing properties across multiple states, having consistent contacts matters. Boone described the challenge of working with other organizations where frequent staff changes meant repeatedly bringing someone new up to speed. He values being able to speak with people who know RLJ and remain part of the conversation. That continuity helps make the relationship useful during everyday business, when questions arise, and RLJ needs someone it can reach. Gavin Peters, lead underwriter with HAI Group, helps maintain that continuity through regular conversations and in-person meetings with RLJ’s team. “This has been a true partnership, and it continues to grow,” Peters said. Those meetings give HAI Group an opportunity to understand RLJ’s evolving needs and review whether its coverage continues to meet them. Peters said the first meeting at RLJ’s Ohio office established a foundation of trust and a shared commitment to finding solutions for the company. “If there’s something we can’t do, we go back to the table and figure out what we can do,” Peters said. “The goal is always to do the best we can for the client.” ## A fresh perspective on property risks ![DSC01453](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DSC01453.jpg?width=500&height=345&name=DSC01453.jpg) *An entryway to a unit at RLJ Management's Zane Commons, located in Zanesville, Ohio.*  Boone also appreciates HAI Group’s [willingness to visit properties and offer risk management recommendations](https://www.haigroup.com/risk-control-programs/).   An outside perspective can help a property management team recognize conditions that have become familiar over time. Staff members who work at a community every day may overlook something that a visitor notices immediately. “Sometimes you just don’t see things that are right in front of you because you’re there every day,” Boone said. “When somebody else comes in with a fresh set of eyes, they come up with some great suggestions, which is what HAI Group has done.” HAI Group’s property visits bring another set of eyes to the communities RLJ manages. Boone said the recommendations have been particularly helpful in identifying liability concerns. That support has included visits from Elizabeth Owens, director of Risk Control and Consulting; Mary Ciccaglione, assistant director of Risk Control and Consulting; and Nick Mayo, senior risk control consultant. According to Peters, they have met with RLJ staff to review risk control findings, discuss recommendations, and explain training opportunities available through the team. For RLJ, risk management is an ongoing part of the relationship, with guidance grounded in the properties themselves. ## Discovering additional resources A visit to HAI Group’s office gave Boone and his colleagues an opportunity to meet more of the people behind that support and learn about additional resources. Boone said the welcome and time employees spent with the RLJ team made an impression. The visit included a tour of the HAI Group Housing Training Institute studio and discussions about resources offered by the [Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation](https://www.pahrc.org/), HAI Group’s research division. [A demonstration of the National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD)](https://preservationdatabase.org/) stood out to Boone, who saw potential for RLJ’s development staff to use it when exploring opportunities to create affordable housing. “She showed us how to use that, and I thought that was very helpful,” Boone said of the demonstration by Kelly McElwain, director of research with PAHRC. He said RLJ’s development staff planned to use the database to identify affordable housing opportunities. Training was another area of interest. RLJ has long worked with Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing on staff education, Boone said, and he appreciated learning about connections between that work and [HAI Group Housing Training Institute’s training efforts](https://www.haigroup.com/housing-training/). He also emphasized the [convenience of video and online learning for employees](https://www.housingtraininginstitute.com/mui/public/catalog). Those conversations broadened RLJ’s understanding of the resources available through its relationship with HAI Group and how they could support its work. ## Keeping the relationship personal Boone’s priorities are straightforward: reliable communication, useful advice, and people who take the time to understand RLJ’s work. As the company continues to manage affordable housing across its portfolio, those qualities help it maintain relationships that support the people responsible for its communities. “We’re very pleased with how everything turned out so far,” Boone said. “We couldn’t be happier.” Peters said meeting those expectations starts with understanding RLJ’s needs and maintaining an open conversation about how HAI Group can help. “Meeting in person helps us better understand what matters to RLJ and how we can support their work,” Peters said. “That understanding builds trust and helps us make those ongoing conversations more productive.” For RLJ Management, that consistency is an important part of working with HAI Group and continuing its focus on the housing people depend on. *Feature image: An outside view of RLJ Management's Zane Commons, located in Zanesville, Ohio.* The information presented is for general reference only. HAI Group makes no representation or warranty about the accuracy or applicability of this information for any particular use or circumstance. Your use of this information is at your own discretion and risk. HAI Group and any author or contributor identified herein assume no responsibility for your use of this information. You should consult with your legal, professional or subject matter advisor before implementing any new strategy or policy. HAI Group® is the registered trademark of Housing Authority Risk Retention Group, Inc. and its related companies. For a complete list of HAI Group companies, visit www.haigroup.com. Products or services may not be available in all jurisdictions. Certain property and casualty coverage may be provided by a risk retention group or a surplus lines insurer or by a third party. Risk retention groups and surplus lines insurers do not participate in state guaranty funds and their insureds are not protected by such funds. 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[Read more](https://blog.haigroup.com/what-is-ams-and-ams-choosing-the-right-path-to-asset-management-certification) ![HAI Group](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Thrifty%20child/images/hai-logo-footer.png) - [Online Privacy Policy](https://www.haigroup.com/privacy-policy/) - [California Privacy Rights](https://www.haigroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/HAI-Group-CA-Privacy-Rights-Notice-1.pdf) - [Terms of Use](https://www.haigroup.com/terms-of-use/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mike Torelli | Manager, Marketing and Communications | HAI Group", "url" : "https://blog.haigroup.com/author/mike-torelli" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-23T15:59:56.254Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-23T15:47:53.000Z", "headline" : "A Shared Commitment to Affordable Housing: RLJ Management’s Relationship with HAI Group", "image" : [ "https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/DSC01463-2.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.haigroup.com/a-shared-commitment-to-affordable-housing-rlj-managements-relationship-with-hai-group", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/HAIGroup%20PMS2186C%20400X100-300dpi-1.png" }, "name" : "HARRG" } } ```