Kechelle Jones entered HAI Group’s Mid-Atlantic Risk Control Collaborative in early August 2023 with uncertainty about what awaited her. Upon leaving the event, equipped with newly acquired policies, procedures, and best practices, she promptly initiated transformative changes within her housing organization.
Jones, the assistant director of asset management at the Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County (HCAAC) in Maryland, joined a cohort of public housing professionals from across the Mid-Atlantic region.
They convened at the one-day collaborative organized by HAI Group’s Risk Control and Consulting team, hosted at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Entering the event, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I remained open to listening as everyone shared their experiences and expertise,” Jones reflected. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions I made, as it broadened my perspective to new and unprecedented situations that I never thought could occur, let alone that an agency could be held liable for.”
The collaborative was one of four organized by HAI Group in 2023, bringing together public housing professionals focusing on risk management, claims, and insurance. Another collaborative, hosted by Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Virginia, occurred in August 2023. Denver Housing Authority hosted a Colorado collaborative in December 2023, and Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority hosted a collaborative for agencies in Ohio and western Pennsylvania that same month.
Prioritizing face-to-face training for enhanced learning experiences
Elizabeth Owens, director of risk control and consulting at HAI Group, said there's a renewed emphasis on risk management collaboratives and other in-person training initiatives. The four collaboratives in 2023 marked the company’s first in-person training events since the COVID pandemic subsided (HAI Group hosted two virtual collaboratives in late 2022).
“The goal behind these collaborative training initiatives is to bring risk management professionals from the public and affordable housing industry into the same room for networking, idea-sharing, and discussing effective policies and procedures in risk mitigation,” Owens explained.
HAI Group Chief Risk Officer Dr. Reginald Freeman indicated that the events in 2023 served as a blueprint for 2024 and beyond.
“We anticipate a robust and busy calendar for in-person and virtual training and other risk-focused events in the coming year,” Freeman projected. “Face-to-face interactions with housing professionals and agencies we serve are significantly more beneficial, not just for our members but also our team at HAI Group.”
Creating a customizable collaborative experience
Owens said collaborative attendees should leave with a better understanding of HAI Group’s risk control services and resources available to policyholders and a greater awareness of the risk landscape in the public and affordable housing industry.
“We share loss trends and innovative solutions from housing agencies across the country,” Owens added. “At the end of the day, attendees have new contacts within the housing industry that they can rely on for advice in the future.”
Topics are tailored for each collaborative to ensure relevance for attendees. Freeman emphasized that sessions are designed to be engaging and collaborative.
“We’re not giving lectures,” Freeman explained. “We encourage anyone at any point to ask a question or provide context if they have experience on a given topic.”
HAI Group Senior Risk Control Consultant J.B. Smith discusses physical security best practices during HAI Group's Mid-Atlantic Risk Control Collaborative in August 2023.
HAI Group Regional Claims Manager Janelle Howard discusses the claims process during HAI Group's Mid-Atlantic Risk Control Collaborative in August 2023.
Attendees are also welcome to present on topics dear to them. For instance, Malisha Pate, a District of Columbia Housing Authority risk reduction specialist, presented best practices for community rules with residents during the Mid-Atlantic Risk Control Collaborative, while Keva Newsome, HCV director at Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, shared tips for effectively communicating with residents during the Virginia Risk Control Collaborative.
“Let us know in advance if you’re interested in presenting on any risk-related topic, and we’ll get you on the agenda,” Freeman said.
Turning lessons into tangible results
With over 15 years of experience in the housing industry, Jones has spent the last five years of her career at HCAAC. Part of her role is ensuring that all properties in HCAAC’s portfolio meet and exceed local, state, and federal housing standards.
“Even after all these years, nothing is more satisfying than knowing that every day there is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families in need,” Jones expressed. “Customer service is one of our core values at HCAAC, with the ability to genuinely take care of all residents at our properties and keep them safe.”
Jones emphasized that risk management has always been a priority at HCAAC, prompting her and others from the organization to attend the collaborative. The insights gained at HAI Group’s Mid-Atlantic Risk Control Collaborative illuminated risk management best practices not previously considered by the organization. Physical security and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles were focal points at the Mid-Atlantic Collaborative.
Jones revealed that post-collaborative conversations with HCAAC’s asset managers focused on CPTED recommendations, such as addressing blind spots caused by landscaping and the importance of obstruction-free viewing to deter crime.
“As soon as I returned to my office after the collaborative, I filled our next staff meeting itinerary with all the information I learned,” she recounted. “We also explained the importance of ensuring that all security doors and fences are functioning and operating as intended, as well as the importance of signage and documentation.”
Keva Newsome, HCV director at Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, shares tips for effectively communicating with residents during HAI Group's Virginia Risk Control Collaborative in August 2023.
Fire safety, the benefits of renters’ insurance, and premises liability risks were among the other topics at the collaborative that resonated with Jones.
“Coming off the collaborative, we discussed fire safety and planning to prevent those events. We scheduled meetings with residents and insurance companies to promote renters’ insurance at our sites,” Jones shared. “Lastly, we talked about the legal ramifications of not going the extra step to limit risk—how saving a dollar today could cost you millions tomorrow.”
Jones said that based on what she learned at the collaborative, HCAAC implemented a new procedure to survey each property weekly and document each survey.
“We completed the first survey together with each team and showed them in real-time where we can make adjustments based on what we discussed at the collaborative,” she said. “We did this to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep the commission’s promise to truly take care of our families.”
Jones believes HCAAC’s asset management teams are “better and more informed than ever.”
“I would suggest that every leader of a property management department attend a collaborative or send their asset managers,” she recommended. “It is genuinely worth it, and they will not be disappointed. Is there really anyone better to help you avoid losses than the people at HAI Group who are here to help you defend against claims?”
Are you an HAI Group member/policyholder interested in attending a risk control collaborative in 2024? Let us know by filling out this form, and we'll be in touch.
