Barrier Free Living (BFL) along with Urban Builders Collaborative and Lettire Construction held a ribbon cutting event for Freedom Village Supportive Housing program on June 11, 2026.

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.

Photos by @lookatthismedia.hq

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Barrier Free Living (BFL) received nearly 100 gorgeous hand-knitted scarves at an event at New York City’s Bryant Park today, as part of the annual Found But Not Lost Program.

BFL Director of Communications Scott Hess spoke at the event, expressing the agency’s gratitude.

“We are incredibly grateful to Bryant Park Corp. for the scarf donations again this year. Receiving a beautiful new scarf means so much to the residents and their kids at our domestic violence shelter and programs! It truly offers a ray of light.”

Participants in Bryant Park’s knitting classes, along with the general public, create the scarves throughout the year. The program is coordinated with Knitty City, the famed Upper West Side yarn emporium, whose owner, Pearl Chin, passed away last year. This year’s distribution event of more than 600 scarves also paid tribute to Ms. Chin, who opened Knitty City in 2006.

“This year marks the tenth anniversary of Bryant Park’s association with Knitty City and sixth for the ‘Found but Not Lost’ program,” said Dan Biederman, executive director of Bryant Park Corporation. “It’s great to have a partner dedicated to a community service that provides a measure of warmth to those who need it. I particularly thank our program coordinator Alice Cashman, who developed the concept with Ms. Chin.”

In addition to BFL, various groups received scarves at the event, including the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) in Harlem.

As an homage to Ms. Chin, Bryant Park dedicated one of its iconic green bistro chairs inscribed with her name and Knitty City’s motto, “We’ll Keep You in Stitches.” Ms. Chin’s son Zac accepted the honor (photo below).

In past years, the scarves would be draped on benches and trees in the park, with each bearing a “Found but Not Lost” tag which instructed the taker to use it if they needed it, or to donate it to an indigent person. Because of the pandemic, the park was forced to suspend that aspect of the program and instead give the scarves directly to charitable non-profit organizations. Also, scarves are normally knitted at Bryant Park’s summer knitting classes, but because of Covid, volunteers made them at home last year.

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) is a not-for-profit, private management company founded in 1980 to renovate and operate Bryant Park in New York City. It was established by Daniel A. Biederman and Andrew Heiskell, with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. BPC was formed to restore historic Bryant Park, which had suffered a severe decline in conditions in the 1970s. A 15-year agreement was signed in 1988, entrusting management and improvements to BPC. The park reopened in 1992 after four years of renovation with a budget six times the level under prior city management. It is the largest effort in the nation to apply private management backed by private funding to a public park, and it has been a success with public, press, and nearby institutions. BPC shares its management team with the 34th Street Partnership. The two companies share a management philosophy.

Barrier Free Living’s Secret Garden domestic violence program has filmed a video in American Sign Language to explain domestic violence and inform survivors with hearing loss how to seek assistance.
Development of this video is an activity of BFL’s 2012 Office on Violence Against Women disability grant program award, which focuses on building capacity to serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing survivors.

New York State’s Uniformed Court System (UCS) employs more than 300 staff interpreters in more than 20 languages, in addition to hundreds of additional freelance interpreters who work in the system each year. But just a handful of the court’s staff interpreters work in American Sign Language (ASL)—in fact, just seven were employed by the state courts in 2018, all of them assigned to courthouses and offices in New York City, according to records compiled by the website SeeThroughNY.

Read the full story here.

Aja Ruffin, a Resident Aide at Freedom House, joined the team in 2016 with a drive to help others, and a desire to grow. She found both working with the team.

BFL: When did you join BFL, and what drew you to apply?

Aja: I joined BFL on February 24th, 2016. Having previously worked with children at The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, another non-profit organization, I wanted to continue to help people but in a different way. So, in searching for jobs in the non-profit sector I came across BFL (Freedom House). I applied for a position hoping to get a chance to assist women and children in domestic violence situations.

BFL: What are some of the rewards and challenges you face in your job?

Aja: I am rewarded everyday doing work at Freedom House. This is because I get to help people in their times of need and I’m just happy to get to have that chance. The challenges I have faced at Freedom House have been tough learning experiences. Tenants are in crisis situations in their lives that are difficult to cope with and sometimes they are difficult to help in turn. I have been overwhelmed at moments and honestly I couldn’t have done certain things without my Team or my Boss Linette (Holmes).

BFL: Tell us about what committees or events you have been a part of at Freedom House.

Aja: Until my boss Linette signed me up for the communication committee, I had avoided committees. But I went to my first meeting the other day and I must say it was a great. The chance to express my ideas with everyone was pretty dope.

BFL: What have you learned most about yourself, working at Freedom House so far?

Aja: I’ve learned A LOT about myself working here at Freedom House. I’ve grown a lot as person. One way particular, is that I’ve learned to be open more to people myself and to take it more seriously when others open up too about their problems and experiences.

BFL: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Aja: I’m actually just a chill person. As of now I am looking at colleges to apply to. I wish to major in social work so that I can advance further in organizations like BFL. Also, I am reading the Drivers ED book to get my license.

The new housing facility will be located in the heart of Manhattan and is designed to support survivors of domestic abuse

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — JCJ Architecture today announces the firm will design a groundbreaking new project for Barrier Free Living (BFL), a leading NYC community nonprofit that provides services and support for survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. The $30 million project is anticipated to break ground in Fall of 2019 with completion planned for January 2021.

The new 65,000 square foot facility will provide permanent housing specifically to meet the needs of this population and will include 74 apartments, administrative offices, a rear garden, an elevated outdoor recreation area, and community and support spaces.

The building will challenge assumptions about the aesthetics associated with supportive housing and create a more direct and engaged relationship for residents with the surrounding environment. The new facility is intended to efficiently serve the needs of BFL’s clients, to provide a sense of pride, place and home for residents, and to create a unique architectural presence in the rapidly changing neighborhood where the East Village and Lower East Side converge.

“BFL is a forward-looking organization that works to achieve a vision where individuals with disabilities can be free from barriers that prevent them from reaching their fullest potential,” said Peter G. Bachmann, AIA, Principal-in-Charge with JCJ Architecture. “The JCJ team has fully embraced the complexities of the project and the BFL mission to support individuals with disabilities in living dignified lives. This project presents an opportunity to positively influence this dynamic organization’s work in keeping New York City a vibrant and diverse community that maintains its commitments to all residents.”

Inspired by the parameters of Mayor de Blasio’s Housing NYC Plan, this project will provide affordable housing and support services for a grossly underserved population. The project team will work alongside agencies and stakeholders including NY State Home and Community Renewal, ESSHI and NY City Board of Standards & Appeals. Funding for related services and rent support will come from the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House domestic violence shelter held a Domestic Violence Awareness Month dinner for residents and their children this month.

Celebrating 12 years in New York City, Freedom House is a domestic violence shelter (90-180 day stay) for women, men and children. We serve both families and single individuals with or without disabilities. We have worked with people from 40 states and internationally and we welcome all members of the LGBTQ community.

Take a virtual tour of freedom house here.  Paul Feuerstein, President/CEO of Barrier Free Living, photo above.

Do you know:

The number one issue of Women with Disabilities nationwide is Domestic Abuse.

• 80% of women with disabilities have been sexually assaulted.
• Increased rates of abuse by both men and women with disabilities from 31-83%

Learn more facts about the domestic violence issues women and men with disabilities face day-to-day.