National Insurance Task Force Makes Name Change

After 10 years of efforts to improve insurance accessibility and affordability in lower-income and minority communities, the National Insurance Task Force (NITF) has announced a name change and a national expansion.

To reflect its evolution from a task force working in 13 communities to a national initiative benefiting hundreds of NeighborWorks organizations, the group has changed its name to the NeighborWorks Insurance Alliance.

Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation initially convened a handful of leaders from the insurance industry and the NeighborWorks network in 1994 to discuss issues of insurance availability and affordability in NeighborWorks communities. That group became known as the National Insurance Task Force (NITF).

The NITF provided a forum where insurers and community development professionals could talk openly about difficulties and opportunities in expanding the affordability and availability of insurance products in lower-income and minority communities. Together, they developed programs that educated homeowners about obtaining adequate coverage and reducing risk, while raising awareness among insurers about the subtleties of writing policies in these communities.

“Thanks to NITF programs like the Loss Prevention Partnerships (LPP) and others, many NeighborWorks communities are safer, more stable, and more economically viable,” said Kenneth Wade, executive director of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. “In order to spread this success throughout the NeighborWorks network, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation has created the NeighborWorks Insurance Alliance as NITF’s successor. Embracing the same basic mission as the NITF, the NIA will extend its innovative programs and lessons learned to all 225 organizations in the national NeighborWorks network.”

The NIA will hold its annual meeting and celebrate the 10th anniversary of NeighborWorks national insurance partnership efforts Aug. 12 in Washington, D.C.