Human Resources Agency of New Britain

What Human Resources Agency of New Britain does

Human Resources Agency of New Britain (HRA) is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency founded in 1964 under the Office of Economic Opportunity as part of President Johnson's War on Poverty, and incorporated in Connecticut. The organization operates approximately 30 programs organized into seven divisions — Early Childhood Services (Head Start, School Readiness, toddler/preschool), Elderly Services, Emergency Assistance (including the New Britain Food & Resource Center and Polish Victim Advocacy), Employment & Training, Energy Assistance, Financial Services (including VITA tax preparation), and Health & Wellness (HIV/AIDS services via the Wellness Resource Center and Ryan White Case Management). HRA serves low-income individuals and families across six Connecticut communities — New Britain, Bristol, Burlington, Farmington, Plainville, and Plymouth — through ten physical locations with 200+ employees.

The technology base is standard for a social-services non-profit: office and case-management systems supporting remote operations via Zoom and DocuSign, with no proprietary software, no developer-facing APIs, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. HRA's 2017 merger with Bristol Community Organization expanded its catchment to six towns, and the 2022 acquisition of the 550 Farmington Avenue facility for the New Britain Food & Resource Center, combined with the 2023 Lake Avenue Early Learning Center opening in Bristol, reflect continued capital expansion.

HRA's revenue model is grant-based rather than transactional: programs are provided at no cost to eligible low-income residents, funded through a mix of federal sources (U.S. DHHS Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau), Connecticut Department of Social Services and other state/local agencies, foundation grants (American Savings Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain), and tax-deductible individual and corporate donations. The annual budget exceeded $20 million following a $2.5 million Bristol expansion in 2022, and energy assistance alone serves over 5,000 clients per year while emergency services reached 8,000+ households during the pandemic. Client acquisition is community-led, driven by outreach, partnerships, and word-of-mouth rather than paid marketing.

Name

Human Resources Agency of New Britain

Legal name

Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc.

Website

https://hranbct.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Human Resources Agency of New Britain is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1964 that delivers 30+ programs — including Head Start, energy assistance, food distribution, workforce training, and HIV/AIDS services — to low-income individuals and families across six Connecticut communities through ten locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Personal Care & ADL Assistance (bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility) (HLADAGAA), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Early childhood education
• Workforce development
• Energy assistance programs
• Anti-poverty social services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Britain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal, state, and local government sources including the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Bureau, Connecticut Department of Social Services, and various state and local agencies.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from various private foundations including American Savings Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, and others.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Human Resources Agency of New Britain is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency that delivers wraparound anti-poverty human services directly to low-income individuals and families across six Connecticut towns. Its core offering consists of seven program divisions — Early Childhood Services, Elderly Services, Emergency Assistance, Employment & Training, Energy Assistance, Financial Services, and Health & Wellness — organized around more than 30 distinct programs, most provided at no cost to eligible residents.

Product overview

Human Resources Agency of New Britain is a multi-service non-profit organization offering direct human services programs rather than a technology product. The organization operates approximately 30+ programs organized into seven major service categories: Early Childhood Services (Head Start, School Readiness), Elderly Services, Emergency Assistance (including the New Britain Food & Resource Center), Employment & Training, Energy Assistance, Financial Services (including VITA tax preparation), and Health & Wellness (HIV/AIDS services). These programs work together to address the causes and conditions of poverty while building stronger individuals, families, and communities in greater New Britain, Bristol, and surrounding towns. The organization serves as a Community Action Agency established under the Office of Economic Opportunity and is funded primarily through government grants and foundations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Services Federal, state, and privately funded Head Start, School Readiness, and Toddler/Preschool programs serving children under 5 to prepare them for school. Capacity to serve 700 children under 5 annually.
• Elderly Services Companion services, light home care, and limited transportation services for seniors to help them remain independent in their homes.
• Emergency Assistance Connects individuals and families with food, employment resources, and social services including the New Britain Food & Resource Center, Polish Victim Advocacy, and Community Service Case Management. Served over 8,000 households during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Employment & Training Job placement assistance, employment training, youth employment programs, and Summer Youth Employment Program to help individuals get their first job, a better job, or workforce training.
• Energy Assistance Vendor mediation and funding for energy bills in crisis situations, keeping low-income households warm and safe during winter months. Manages over 5,000 clients annually under Director Barbara Parsons since 1982.
• Financial Services Financial coaching, budgeting workshops, income tax assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and Young Adult Services to help build wealth rather than debt.
• Health & Wellness HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services including the Wellness Resource Center, Ryan White Case Management, psychosocial support, nutrition, medication adherence, and case management serving Bristol, Burlington, Farmington, Plainville, Plymouth, and Middletown.
• New Britain Food & Resource Center Food pantry providing food distribution integrated with wraparound case management services, hosting CT Foodshare mobile truck activities and serving hundreds of households monthly.
• Youth Services Center Career exploration, guidance, workforce readiness, and workforce experience programs for youth ages 14-24, including Summer Youth Program and Out-of-School Youth Program.
• Foundations for Financial Independence Program Comprehensive financial literacy education, matched savings accounts (Individual Development Accounts), and VITA services combined into one program to help participants build assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Housed 21 families and 48 children through Head Start on Housing program since December 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CT FoodsharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRA signed agreement in November 2022 to host CT Foodshare mobile truck activities. Since then, they have hosted formal food distribution events serving hundreds of households each month.
• New Britain Police DepartmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMade generous donation to the New Britain Food and Resource Center.
• Head Start Association of ConnecticutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Head Start on Housing program - the first of its kind nationally - helping homeless families with children in Head Start obtain Section 8 housing on a shortened schedule.
• State of Connecticut Department of HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Head Start on Housing program helping provide affordable housing to homeless families.
• Connecticut Office of Early ChildhoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Head Start on Housing program along with the state Department of Housing.
• Community Action PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRA is affiliated with Community Action Partnership, a national organization supporting Community Action Agencies.
• Capital Region Workforce PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner that provided funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program along with the State of Connecticut.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TEAM Inc. Connecticut-based Community Action Agency delivering a similar comprehensive suite of anti-poverty programs (Head Start, energy assistance, workforce, housing) across a multi-town catchment. Highly comparable in mission, funding mix, and operating model.
• TVCCA (Thames Valley Council for Community Action): CT-based CAA serving the southeastern portion of the state with the same tripartite-board, federally funded, multi-program community action model. Direct comparable for funding mix, program breadth, and CAA designation.
• Access Community Action Agency: CT-based CAA serving Windham and Tolland counties. Operates Head Start, energy assistance, workforce, and emergency services under the same Community Services Block Grant framework as HRA.
• New Opportunities Inc. CT-based CAA serving greater Waterbury and surrounding towns with the same federal CAA designation, Head Start grants, and comprehensive social service portfolio. Closely comparable scale and program mix.
• Community Action Agency of New Haven: CT-based CAA serving Greater New Haven with Head Start, energy assistance, workforce, and community services programs under the same federal funding architecture as HRA.
• Catholic Charities of Hartford: Hartford-area multi-service social services nonprofit offering case management, immigration, behavioral health, and emergency assistance. Overlaps significantly with HRA on emergency assistance and immigrant/refugee populations.
• Hispanic Health Council: Hartford-based nonprofit delivering health, family, and youth services to Latino populations—comparable to HRA's Polish Victim Advocacy, HIV/Health & Wellness, and youth programming for underserved language communities.
• Connecticut Foodshare: CT's regional food bank and an active partner of HRA's New Britain Food & Resource Center. Directly comparable on the food-assistance vertical, including mobile distribution and pantry operations.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut: Statewide fundraising and grant-distribution backbone for many of the same social services HRA delivers. Acts as a funder/convener rather than direct operator, but addresses overlapping community needs across HRA's catchment.

Others

• Community Action Partnership (National): National membership association for the 1,000+ Community Action Agencies across the U.S. HRA is an affiliate; this is the network/ecosystem peer that shapes federal CAA policy and ROMA training standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/head-start-of-new-britain
• Xx.com/hra_new_britain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Resources Agency of New Britain