Beyonce and Kelly Rowland are giving back to their hometown of Houston, Texas, in a major way. The former Destiny’s Child bandmates are joining forces on a housing project, known as the Knowles-Roland House Project, in Houston that will provide 31 permanent housing units in Harris County for people experiencing homelessness.
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According to the Houston Chronicle, $7.2 million from the American Rescue Plan will be used to build the units at Bread of Life Inc.‘s headquarters on Crawford St. Bread of Life is an organization that provides nutritious meals and other services to people who are homeless in downtown Houston. Bread Life also works in partnership with Beyonce’s charity, BeyGOOD.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a press conference that homelessness in Houston and the county at large has decreased by 20 percent since the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. “We just did the homeless count again, so it’s initiatives like this one I certainly will be supportive of it no matter whose behind it, but it’s especially interesting, I think, because there are these names of Beyonce and Kelly Rowland, who, of course, have been supportive of the community for a very long time,” Hidalgo said.
This is only the beginning of the project, with Hidalgo hinting that they’re slated to do a “bigger initiative and launch” when Beyonce returns to Houston with a two-night stop on her massive Renaissance World Tour on September 23 and 24. “This will be our fifth housing development in downtown in Precinct 1 over these last 17 years, and just really grateful to continue to help end homeless in our county,” Bread of Life Executive Director Rudy Ramus said.
The Knowles-Roland House Project will also provide service specialists, mental health services, transportation and other resources to the community.
The Renaissance World Tour concludes on September 27 in New Orleans.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/PW18/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment)
