2Life Communities

09/03/2026

What if supporting someone living with dementia wasn’t about doing more for them, but about helping them do more for themselves?

This summer, 20 staffers from across 2Life took part in a six-session training on the Montessori approach to dementia care. The training challenged participants to look beyond a person’s symptoms, recognize their abilities, and work to protect their independence and agency.

For the staff who participated, the training offered a new way of understanding what it means to support people living with dementia and how we can create communities where they continue to have meaningful, purposeful lives.

Read the story to hear what participants learned in their own words. Thank you to MindKeepers UK for this powerful training.

An estimated 42% of Americans over the age of 55 will eventually develop dementia. This summer, 20 staffers from across 2Life’s campuses took a six-session training that fundamentally changed the way they understand dementia.

09/02/2026

Could Opus Newton be a national model for middle-income senior housing?

Following Opus Newton’s ribbon-cutting ceremony that doubled as its one-year anniversary celebration, a recent Newton Beacon story asks a big question about the community’s unique model.

Opus was created for the “forgotten middle” — older adults who may earn too much for subsidized housing but still find traditional senior living financially out of reach. Today, it’s a bustling community where residents are making new friends, volunteering their time and talents, enjoying amenities, and, as resident Nancy Dale put it, finally feeling “home.”

And the demand is clear: Opus already has a waiting list of more than 300 people.

At the celebration, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss called Opus “a national model,” and community leaders pointed to the possibility of bringing the model to more communities in Massachusetts — and beyond.

One year in, the model has already proved to be wildly successful thanks to its committed staff and the endlessly creative and energetic residents, and 2Life is excited to see where it could go next.

Read the full story in the Newton Beacon:

Nancy Dale and her longtime partner, Marybeth Noonan, used to admire a large field in southwestern Newton after they’d get out of church every Sunday. Today, they live there. That field is now a building—Opus [...]

09/01/2026

This year’s Raising the Roof will be a night to remember.

Join us on Sunday, September 27, as we celebrate Amy Schectman and her extraordinary leadership, vision, and impact on affordable housing across Massachusetts as she prepares for her next chapter after decades of service.

We’re also excited to welcome CNN anchor and correspondent John Berman as our host for the evening.

Sunday, September 27
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. | Program begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available now: 2LifeCommunities.org/RaisingTheRoof

08/27/2026

As we grow older, we do our best to plan for the later stages of life. We save for retirement and determine when we will start collecting Social Security. We sign up for Medicare and think about how we would prefer to manage possibly declining health. We make decisions about where we want to live and who we want to stay close to.

But here's a question that most of us don't ask ourselves: How will I spend an ordinary Tuesday afternoon when I'm 85?

The evidence is strong: Social connection belongs in the conversation about healthy aging. Read more on our blog. https://2lifecommunities.org/news/you-age-your-social-life-needs-plan-too

08/27/2026

On August 25, 2Life Communities celebrated Opus Newton’s one-year anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by residents and staff, as well as federal, state, and local officials who have enthusiastically supported the project. The event celebrated the years’ long journey to develop a new senior living model for middle-income older adults who are often priced out of traditional senior living options. More importantly, the event celebrated the passionate residents who make Opus Newton the vibrant, bustling community it is today.

Fig City News highlights key moments from the celebration and its featured speakers. The article also explains the Opus from 2Life Communities model and the ways in which it creates an opportunity for residents to play a major role in shaping their own community.

Read the full article here:

A year after its first residents moved into Opus Newton, the senior living community on Wi******er Street is fully occupied, with its creators pointing to the project as a potential model for addressing two increasingly pressing issues: the lack of housing options for middle-income older adults and....

08/26/2026

A new model for senior living in Newton, Massachusetts, is proving what’s possible.

Today, we celebrated the first year of operation and 100% occupancy of Opus Newton with a ribbon-cutting ceremony filled with residents, staff, family, and friends.

We developed the Opus from 2Life Communities model as an option for middle-income seniors who are often priced out of traditional senior living options, which means they lose out on the health and social benefits that come from living in community.

Our first continuing care retirement community (CCRC), Opus Newton boasts 31,000 square feet of community space, including an art studio, classroom, fitness studio, cardio gym, dining room, library, and lounge spaces, providing ample room for an explosion of exciting programs to happen at the same time. Residents leveraged the home equity they built over time to secure a place in the community, which allows 2Life to keep monthly fees low and predictable, and in turn alleviates residents’ fear of outliving their savings. Residents also commit to volunteering ten hours per month within the community, which utilizes their wisdom, builds connections, and helps create a supportive environment.

In the words of Amy Schectman, 2Life Communities’ Saul and Gitta Kurlat chief executive officer: “Everyone who lives at Opus has been a partner in creating this beautiful community. They are responsible for making everything work, not to be served but to serve, advise, reach out, invent and re-invent, and demonstrate caring for each other everyday.”

Thank you to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, Mayor Marc Laredo, Senator Cindy Creem, Amy Sangiolo for State Representative, State Rep. John Lawn, Chrystal Kornegay of MassHousing, Kathy McGilvray of Mass Development, and Rick Lipof and many other members of the Newton City Council for joining us in celebrating this milestone.

Thank you to our project funders and donors:
Hamlin Capital Management, LLC
Mass Development
Opus Investment Fund I
Beacon Bank

Thank you to our project team:
Perkins Eastman
Dellbrook
Stantec
Nixon Peabody
New Ecology

08/24/2026

Massachusetts’ housing crisis is a challenge that affects people at every stage of life. As families struggle to find affordable homes, many older adults are living in houses that are larger and more costly to maintain than they need.

Expanding access to high-quality senior housing could help address both sides of this equation — giving older adults more options to downsize while opening up larger homes for younger families.

In a new Boston Business Journal op-ed, Lizbeth Heyer, 2Life Communities President and incoming CEO, explores how investing in senior housing can help restore the natural flow of housing between generations.

Lizbeth makes the case that Massachusetts needs more multi-unit, accessible senior housing in communities close to transit and amenities, along with policies and partnerships that make these developments possible.

It’s a practical approach to a complex problem — and one that could create more housing opportunities for Massachusetts residents of all ages.

Read the full op-ed:

A policy advocate offers a novel supply-and-demand housing fix: Create more housing for seniors so they can leave single-family homes and young families can move in.

08/21/2026

For National Senior Citizens Day, we’re celebrating three 2Life residents who remind us that aging doesn’t mean adventure, growth, or discovery have to stop.

At 71, Katherine entered local politics for the first time, running for Town Meeting because she believes that if you want to see change, you have to be willing to take part in making it happen. A natural leader and lifelong advocate, Katherine has always felt called to help others reach their goals and meet their needs. For her, every decade brings a new chapter, with its own experiences, challenges, and opportunities — and she sees no reason to stop exploring what each new stage of life has to offer.

Liliya spent her life working and had never tried art before coming to 2Life. After discovering stained glass mosaics, she found a new passion — and has now created around 200 pieces, many of which line the windows of the Brighton Campus art studio and speckle the room with colorful light when the sun shines through their images. Liliya is also exploring new artistic mediums, trying her hand at clay sculpture and soldering stained glass.

And Vladimir? He celebrated his 90th birthday by going skydiving. A former pilot who came to the U.S. as a refugee, Vladimir has spent his life embracing new chapters — and says that if he makes it to 100, he plans to skydive again.

Their stories may look different, but they share something important: There is always something new to try, learn, create, or experience.

08/20/2026

Taking care of your health requires food, hygiene products, medical care, mental health support, exercise, life-enriching programs, and more. Today, residents filled 2Life's Brighton Campus courtyard for a senior health and wellness fair with community partners that represented many of these aspects of health.

Residents enjoyed smoothies, snacks, raffles, and interactive booths. Thank you to the many community partners who participated, including Age Strong, Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative, Boston Medical Center, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center, Central Boston Elder Services, CJP - Combined Jewish Philanthropies SeniorDirect, Element Care PACE, Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, Hope & Comfort, Hebrew SeniorLife Therapy HouseCalls, Serenity Care PACE, Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and United Healthcare Senior Care Options.

08/19/2026

Last week, one of 2Life’s most beloved interfaith traditions, the Blessing of the F(l)eet, returned to the lobby of Brown Family House. The event – a collaboration between 2Life Communities, Hebrew SeniorLife, and Brookline’s All Saints Parish – celebrates the ways in which we move and offers a space to reflect and express gratitude to the devices that assist our bodies as we age and change.

Rabbi Jim Morgan, rabbi and chaplain at Hebrew SeniorLife's Center Communities of Brookline location, kicked off the event with a lively rendition of “Proud Mary,” and 2Life’s clergy Rabbi Giulia Fleishman and Pastor Toby Sumner led the audience in prayer, including an adaptation of Psalm 23 that begins with, “The Lord is my accessibility ramp.” Clergy members then visited each attendee to offer a blessing and tie a green blessing string around their mobility devices or wrists. Meanwhile, Rabbi Jim and his ensemble played other joyful tunes themed around movement, including “These Wheels are Made for Rollin’” to the tune of “These Boots are Made for Walkin’.” To conclude the celebration, Rev. Silas Kotnour from All Saints Parish led the closing blessing.

Residents enjoyed the opportunity to appreciate the support of devices that help them move around the world.