Hartford is as safe as any other urban hub. Just use common sense and you’ll be fine. It’s true it’s not super walkable, but there’s plenty of stuff to do.

Not all homeless people live in the streets or are visibly homeless. You probably walk by homeless people and children all the time and are none the wiser. Many have jobs and most homeless children go to school. I would check with your local homeless shelters (many of which have rooms specially for families) and ask how you can help.