The Hartford Marks 100th Anniversary In Asylum Hill With $10 Million Commitment

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hartford, which has been headquartered for more than 200 years in its namesake city, commemorates its centennial anniversary in Asylum Hill with a $10 million commitment to the neighborhood over the next five years. Funding will focus on supporting the most pressing needs of community members based on findings from The Hartford’s Asylum Hill Neighborhood Survey.

“The Hartford is proud to continue its long-standing support of the Asylum Hill neighborhood, the place we’ve called home for 100 years,” said Kathy Bromage, chief marketing and communications officer for The Hartford. “The strong partnerships we’ve built with nonprofits in the neighborhood have positioned us well to take action and continue to foster a safe, strong and successful community.”

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said, “The Hartford has been an anchor institution in the city of Hartford for 200 years, and their commitment to the Hartford community has been extraordinary. I’m deeply grateful for The Hartford’s commitment to the city and to the Asylum Hill neighborhood in particular, and look forward to working closely with The Hartford as they make this significant neighborhood investment over the next five years.”

To mark the anniversary, The Hartford surveyed individuals and non-profits in Asylum Hill, between August and September 2020 to identify the areas of most need. Based on these findings, the company plans to increase its focus on programs that promote job readiness, housing stability and greater safety in Asylum Hill with current partners such as The Village for Families and Children, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance. The Hartford will also partner with the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association and support the development of their strategic plan to improve quality of life in the neighborhood.

Survey results show that 68% of community members feel that quality of life in the neighborhood is slightly better or the same over the past five years due to: increased community involvement of residents; improved physical conditions of some areas; and greater support and collaboration among non-profits. However, the neighborhood remains concerned about:

• Employment/job resources (55%)
• Housing/homelessness resources (52%)
• Crime/safety resources (51%)

The survey also reveals that COVID-19 magnified many latent issues already facing the Asylum Hill neighborhood. The areas impacted the most due to the pandemic include:

• Job loss/reduction of hours (33%)
• Strained assistance programs (19%)
• Education issues/lack of tech for virtual learnings (17%)

In addition to meeting these immediate needs, longer-term the company will support the City’s Hartford2035 plan, including economic development projects.

The commitment to Asylum Hill follows a $7 million investment from The Hartford in 2010 to revitalize the neighborhood, which included a $2 million contribution towards the removal of the Capitol West building, in addition to educational programs with community partners such as Junior Achievement, The Village for Families and Children and West Middle School.

Methodology

The Hartford’s Asylum Hill Neighborhood Survey was an online survey fielded from Aug. 2 – September 1, 2020, and included more than 300 residents, non-profits and frequent visitors of the Asylum Hill community. The margin of error is +/-6% at a 95% confidence level.

About The Hartford

The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on Twitter at @TheHartford_PR.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s legal notice.

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Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

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