We are proud to have opened Freedom House in March 2006 and to have this 44-apartment facility be the first fully accessible residential shelter in the United States for persons with disabilities and their families who are fleeing domestic abuse. We expect to provide emergency housing and case management services to at least 1,000 people each year. Upon Freedom House’s opening, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: “This new facility is an invaluable contribution to the fight against domestic violence…..”

We also provide comprehensive assistance through our non-residential domestic violence program. The Secret Garden responds to more than 3,000 Crisis Hotline callsand counsels more than 2,000 consumers each year. Among our services are individual counseling, case management and advocacy, occupational therapy, safety planning, and information and referrals.

Barrier Free Living’s 48-bed transitional housing facility offers homeless men and women with disabilities a fully accessible and safe place to live, with additional support services, until they are able to obtain permanent housing. Our Transitional Housing staff works to ensure that residents acquire or strengthen the skills necessary to successfully reintegrate into their communities, by offering independent living skills workshops, occupational therapy, a savings account program and other related casework services.   Separately, we also conduct outreach throughout New York City to homeless adults with disabilities, providing information and referral services, as well as long-term case management related to the search for rehabilitation programs and permanent housing. 

At Barrier Free Living, our values spring from a holistic perspective that encompasses respect for the individual and his or her unique needs and circumstances. Our grounding principle is to help people with disabilities help themselves. We focus on ability, not disability, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical and professional integrity.