Officials cut the ribbon of the Knowles-Rowland House. The facility will provide 31 permanent supportive housing units for unhoused individuals. (Ariel Worthy/Community Impact)
Officials held the ribbon-cutting for the Knowles-Rowland House, which will open as permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals in Midtown, on Oct. 13.
Beyoncé and Kelly, along with Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, and Beyoncé's daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at St. John’s Downtown, the church the Knowles family attended.
Some background
The Knowles-Rowland House is named after the families of superstars Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Kelly Rowland, who supported the center. It opened in 1999 as a youth center that served as a summer camp, a senior center and an overnight shelter for homeless individuals.
In 2021, the facility caught fire and was temporarily used as a disaster relief storage space. In 2023, it began redevelopment.
The Knowles-Rowland House is adjacent to St. John’s Downtown.
Pastor Rudy Rasmus, founding pastor of St. John’s and Bread of Life, which oversees the Knowles-Rowland House, said this is the church’s fifth project and that it focuses specifically on chronically unhoused people, or those who have been homeless for at least one year.
“We know homelessness is going to be even more of a challenge as housing costs continue to rise, as employment begins to fracture, there will be more people falling through the cracks,” he said. “What we’re doing is taking steps to help people not fall through the cracks.”
The House will provide supportive services, including mental health counseling, substance use treatment, transportation assistance and access to food.
“We have bridged that gap between where they are and where they should be on the next step in their lives,” Rasmus said.
The Knowles-Rowland House features bright colored hallways. Residents have access to counseling, job readiness, transportation and food. Ariel Worthy/Community Impact
About the program
The facility has 31 single-occupancy units equipped with a full-sized bathroom, a kitchen and a sleeping area. It also has on-site resident service coordinators, who will help residents with access to services.
Jamir Kee is one of the coordinators and said that while they connect residents to the services they need, they also try to keep the facility family-oriented because some residents may not have family.
“Sometimes it’s just giving them food or doing puzzles,” he said. “We want to give them a chance at having a community and independent living. Sometimes you have residents who don’t have a family, so we try to bridge it all together and make it a community.”
A unit at the Knowles-Rowland House comes with a bed, a full sized bathroom and a kitchen area. Ariel Worthy/Community Impact
The grand opening
Beyoncé, Kelly and Tina Knowles took the stage during the ceremony and reflected on their time at the church.
“There are so many memories here, and I want to thank Juanita (Rasmus) and I want to thank Rudy because your prayers have held us up in this church as our foundation,” Beyoncé said. “I was baptized right here. I remember when I made the choice. I made the choice on my own to be baptized because I felt the Spirit here, and I feel the Spirit right now, and I'm so grateful for that foundation.”
Tina Knowles speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, next to Beyoncé and Pastor Rudy Rasmus.Ariel Worthy/Community Impact
One more thing
Officials said that residents will be completely moved into the facility by Nov. 1.
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