HOUSTON — A community center that once served young people, older adults and people without housing has been transformed into a nearly $14 million residential development, with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and members of the Knowles family returning to celebrate its new purpose.
The Knowles-Rowland House officially opened with an Oct. 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony at St. John’s Downtown Church in Houston. The $13.96 million project includes 31 permanent supportive housing apartments for people moving out of chronic homelessness.
Beyoncé, her mother Tina Knowles and her former Destiny’s Child groupmate Kelly Rowland joined local officials and community leaders for the ceremony. Beyoncé’s daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, also attended, with Rumi taking part in the ribbon-cutting.
A community connection dating back to 1999
The history of the property reaches back more than 25 years. In 1999, the original Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth was established with support from Tina Knowles, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Mathew Knowles.
Over the years, the building housed summer programming for children, activities for seniors and overnight shelter for people experiencing homelessness. A fire in March 2021 severely damaged the facility. Redevelopment began in 2023, giving the site a new role in Houston’s housing efforts.
At the October ceremony, Beyoncé described the significance of returning to the church where she spent part of her childhood. “This church was our foundation. I was baptized right here,” she said, according to Bread of Life Inc., the nonprofit behind the redevelopment.
Permanent housing, with support beyond the apartment door
Located at 2019 Crawford Street in Midtown Houston, the three-story development has 31 single-room occupancy apartments. Sixteen were designed to accommodate people with mobility or sensory needs.
The housing is subsidized through the federal Project-Based Voucher program, administered locally by Housing Alliance HTX. Residents are expected to begin moving in on November 1.
Staff from Temenos Community Development Corporation, a sister organization of Bread of Life, will be on site around the clock. Available assistance will include mental health counseling, substance use treatment, benefits enrollment, transportation, life skills training and access to food.
Those services matter because residents exiting chronic homelessness often need more than a roof. Permanent housing can provide the stability needed to maintain medical appointments, seek employment and rebuild everyday routines.
Public and private dollars helped finance the project
The project was not funded by the entertainers alone. Its financing came from a coalition of public agencies, community organizations, banks and investors.
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said the county committed more than $7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. Other partners included the Harris County Housing Finance Corporation, B1 Bank, AIC CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, Rice Management Company and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas through Home Bank.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee were among the elected officials who attended the opening, recognizing the development as part of broader efforts to address homelessness.
From a place of service to a place to call home
Bread of Life co-founder Pastor Rudy Rasmus, who helped establish the original community program, emphasized the difference the new building can make for its future occupants: “Today we are handing over keys.”
For the Knowles family and Rowland, the opening reconnects a longstanding commitment to a Houston neighborhood with a new generation of community needs. For the residents who will move in, it means something even more immediate: a permanent address, access to support and a chance to build stability.
Sources: Bread of Life Inc., October 14, 2026; Allivate Impact Capital, October 14, 2026.
Featured photograph: Ribbon-cutting image shared on Kelly Rowland’s Facebook page. Original photographer credit has not been confirmed.
