Beyoncé & Kelly Rowland Set To Give Back To Houston Homeless Community

Former "Destiny's Child" collaborators Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland are joining forces to assist Houston's unhoused population.

As the "CUFF IT" superstar brings down the curtains on the European leg of her record-breaking "Renaissance World Tour," she and Rowland are turning their attention back to their roots — Beyoncé was born in Houston, while Rowland relocated to the area from Atlanta as a child — to give back to the homeless community.

The childhood besties, as shared by the Houston Chronicle, are working with Harris County officials to build a multi-million dollar housing unit for those in need in the Midtown area. On Tuesday, June 27, City officials affirmed that the joint effort would create 31 permanent housing units for unhoused people in the area. 

This aid will have case managers, peer specialists, service specialists, county records notes, and specialized services like transportation, mental health, and physical and behavioral health support.

Additional funds will come from outside groups, including Rice University, and the total cost of the initiative is estimated at around $8.4 million, which will break ground in October.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a press conference that an "even bigger launch" will happen in September, which coincides with when the "Church Girl" hitmaker will be in town for her tour performance.

Hidalgo also praised the joint efforts of local officials and the Coalition for the Homeless in reducing homelessness in the area by 20% amid the pandemic and beyond, in her words:

"Harris County and the city of Houston, jointly with the coalition for the homeless, have reduced [homelessness] in the middle of the pandemic by 20 percent, and we've been able to hold that reduction."

She also highlighted Beyoncé and Rowland's involvement, noting, "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."

Rudy Rasmus, a local Pastor and executive director of Bread of Life, where the units will be located, shared his gratitude for the project at the press conference. Rudy stated, "This will be our fifth housing [development downtown] in Precinct 1 over these last 17 years, and [I'm] just really grateful to continue to help end [homelessness] in our county."

He further explained that the "Destiny's Child" triad inspired the Knowles-Rowland Project after they used money from their hit single "No, No, No" to build a youth center in the city. Beyonce's tour dates in her city are Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, at Houston's NRG Stadium. The Renaissance World Tour will conclude on September 27 in New Orleans.

More than their love for giving and healing their communities, it is fascinating to witness how the Texas heroes' and Michelle Williams have remained a tight-knit bunch. The girl group colleagues met in 1999 and after 15 years of amazing collaboration, they released their final album "Destiny Fulfilled" in 2004 and went their separate ways.

Williams exclusively spoke to Us Weekly in 2021 ahead of her memoir, "Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life — and Can Save Yours" release. She used the opportunity to dish about the key to their enduring friendship when she said, "I would just say respect and keeping our friendship kind of between us, We don't share."

As privacy is an obvious necessity for Beyoncé, Williams is one of those around her that upholds it. Still, she mentioned extending that courtesy to everyone she knows, not just her famous friends alone. The Masked Singer alum explained:

"This is what I do with my best friend [who] is a dentist in Miami. So I don't share her secrets. I don't treat any of my friends any differently than Beyoncé and Kelly. We just honor each other's hearts, really."

The author further revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has only strengthened their camaraderie, as the trio is forced to be more honest about their feelings. "I think the pandemic has taught people, listen, there, let's not hide anything. Let's not do that," she explained.