FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scott Hess [email protected]

BARRIER FREE LIVING OPENS FULLY ACCESSIBLE STATE OF THE ART FREEDOM VILLAGE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM 

New York, NY  – Barrier Free Living (BFL) along with Urban Builders Collaborative and Lettire Construction will hold a ribbon cutting event for Freedom Village Supportive Housing program on June 11, 2026 from 11AM-1PM at 270 E. 2nd St. NYC. Located at the intersections of where two city grids collide, that of the East Village and the Lower East Side, the new 65,000 square foot project features a twelve story twisting façade. Freedom Village features 74 accessible apartments and supportive services including supportive counseling, case management, occupational therapy, groups for both adults and families, and community events. 

The $54 million project on New York City’s iconic Lower East Side offers the next step in BFL’s 45 year journey of creating ground-breaking housing and support for survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. Freedom Village also offers housing to seniors (55+) who are medically fragile. 

“BFL is proud to provide fully accessible housing for New York City’s most vulnerable communities at a time when housing is a critical issue for our city,” says Cynthia Amodeo, CEO of Barrier Free Living. “Freedom Village is unique in that it creates a permanent housing environment that is welcoming to people of all abilities. Every apartment and community space was designed to be fully accessible. Our partners throughout this project have shared our commitment to creating a beautiful, inclusive housing community that goes beyond standard accessibility requirements.”

The project was made possible through significant New York State capital investment and support through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI), and it represents a meaningful expansion of accessible, supportive housing for some of New York’s most vulnerable residents. 

Nick Lettire, President of Lettire Construction Corp.: “For over 20 years, Lettire Construction has proudly supported the mission of Barrier Free Living, beginning with Freedom House, where we built an innovative, award-winning shelter facility. The work Barrier Free Living does every day is critical to New Yorkers across the city, and we’re honored to continue supporting their mission for the next two decades.”

Matthew Gross, Partner and Managing Director at Urban Builders Collaborative, LLC:  “Freedom Village honors the history of the site as the city’s first transitional housing shelter, as New York City’s first fully supportive ADA-accessible housing building. Barrier Free’s approach to supportive housing through trauma informed design and services reflects their deep understanding of homelessness caused by domestic violence. We’re proud to partner with Barrier Free Living and grateful to the many city and state agencies whose support helped make this project possible for the community.”

James E. LaPosta Jr., FAIA, LEED AP, Chief Architectural Officer at JCJ Architecture. “The Freedom Village project is the result of a deep and respectful collaboration between client and designer — one in which all parties brought ideas, energy, and commitment to the table while challenging each other to think carefully about the needs of future residents and the character of the neighborhood. From the exterior expression, where the client embraced an architectural concept defined by a layered composition of cantilevered planes, to interior environments shaped around universal accessibility and trauma-informed principles, this project demonstrates what is possible when design is approached with shared purpose and commitment. We are proud to have contributed to a building that challenges assumptions about supportive housing and adds positively to the fabric of the Lower East Side.”

This project was made possible by NYS HCR, NYS HTFC, NYS OTDA, NYS HHAC, DASNY, NYC HPD, Merchants Bank, Raymond James, Borough President’s Office, City Council Member’s Office, Barrier Free Living, Urban Builders Collaborative. 

Featured speakers at the event include: Alvin Bragg – Manhattan District Attorney, Robert Rodriguez – President & Chief Executive Officer, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), Elizabeth Bliss – Deputy Executive Director of Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Programming, NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), Dana Greenberg – Director for the Bureau of Housing and Support Services (BHSS), NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance (OTDA),Saloni Sethi – Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), Nisha Agarwal – Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), and Sarah Leitson – Assistant Commissioner, Division of Special Needs Housing, NYC Dept of Housing Preservation &  Development (HPD).

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