Key Takeaways
- The newly opened Knowles-Rowland House in Houston includes 16 apartments designed for residents with mobility or sensory impairments.
- Harris County committed approximately $7.2 million in federal pandemic recovery funding to the redevelopment in 2023.
- Bread of Life, a Houston nonprofit founded in 1992 by pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus, led the project.
What started with earnings from Destiny’s Child’s early music career is now helping Houstonians find a permanent place to call home. More than two decades after a youth center opened with financial support from the R&B group, the building has been given a new purpose.
On Tuesday (Oct. 13), Beyoncé, her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, her mother Tina Knowles and Kelly Rowland attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Knowles-Rowland House in Houston. According to FOX 26 Houston, the redeveloped property will provide 31 permanent supportive housing apartments for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. The project is led by nonprofit Bread of Life.
How Destiny’s Child helped fund the original Knowles-Rowland youth center
Long before Beyoncé and Rowland became global superstars, proceeds from Destiny’s Child’s first single helped finance the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, which opened in 1999 as a gymnasium and community space.
FOX 26 Houston reported that the facility, named after the two performers who were longtime members of St. John’s Downtown Church, served local youth before suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. A fire in 2021 caused further destruction.
Rather than abandon the property, community leaders pursued its redevelopment. In 2023, Harris County committed approximately $7.2 million in federal pandemic recovery funding to help transform the former center into housing, per the outlet.
Knowles-Rowland House offers permanent housing and support services
The newly opened development reportedly features 31 apartments, including 16 units designed for residents with mobility or sensory impairments.
Beyond providing a roof over their heads, the property will connect residents with services through Temenos Community Development Corporation, Bread of Life’s sister organization. Those resources include mental health counseling, case management, substance abuse treatment, life skills training and nutrition assistance. The apartments will also benefit from federally subsidized rental assistance.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Congressman Christian Menefee and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis joined the celebration, which marked another milestone for Bread of Life. Founded in 1992 by pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus, the nonprofit has spent more than three decades addressing homelessness, hunger and health needs in Houston. The ceremony also included the announcement of the Rudy and Juanita Rasmus Food Distribution Center.
For Beyoncé and Rowland, whose connection to the organization dates back to their younger years, the reopening represents another chapter in their longstanding commitment to the city that helped shape their careers.