Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund

Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund

The Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund was created in 1937 by Texas statute to deliver retirement, disability, and death benefits to eligible Houston firefighters and their families. Brett R. Besselman serves as chairman while Ajit Singh acts as chief investment officer. The City of Houston functions as the municipal sponsor and primary contributor. The fund deploys capital across public equities valued at $1.66 billion, fixed income at $585 million, and private equity commitments including Lone Star Fund X, EQT X, Hellman & Friedman XI, and Cerberus Levered Loan Opportunities Fund V. It also holds positions in EQT Infrastructure Fund IV and Fund V, Bridgepoint Europe VIII, and AE Industrial Partners Fund IV. Geographic exposure spans the United States and Europe through these vehicles plus a direct Bitcoin and Ethereum allocation custodied at NYDIG. The organization employs 30 professionals at its Houston headquarters. It owns and operates the Greer & Lowdermilk Conference Center and maintains the HFRRF Memorial Garden containing the Wall of Honor and a bronze sculpture titled The Rescue. In 2021 the fund began its digital asset program under then-CIO Ajit Singh. It participates in TEXPERS, NCPERS, and the Council of Institutional Investors. The fund's structure as a single-employer public pension plan creates a direct governance link to the City of Houston and a statutory mandate focused on firefighter beneficiaries. This produces a conservative allocation framework with explicit targets such as 25 percent to private equity and documented service providers including BNY Mellon as custodian and Global Sovereign Advisors as investment consultant.