A Midtown Houston building with deep roots in the community has a new purpose. On Oct. 13, Bread of Life Inc. and its partners cut the ribbon on Knowles-Rowland House, 31 apartments of permanent supportive housing at 2019 Crawford Street.
The building used to be the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth. According to a release from Allivate Impact Capital, one of the project's investors, Bread of Life built the original structure in 1999 with support from Tina Knowles, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Kelly Rowland and Mathew Knowles. It served as a youth summer camp, a senior community center and an overnight shelter for people experiencing homelessness until a fire in March 2021.
From fire damage to 31 homes
The redevelopment is an adaptive reuse project. The release describes a three-story, 18,900-square-foot building that now holds 31 residential units for people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Bread of Life is the developer. The AIC CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, a joint venture between CEI-Boulos Capital Management and Allivate Impact Capital, made a majority equity investment. Other partners listed in the release include American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Harris County Housing Finance Corporation, B1 Bank, Rice Management Company and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas through Home Bank. The release does not name a general contractor.
All rents are fully subsidized through HUD's Project-Based Voucher program, administered by Housing Alliance HTX, formerly the Houston Housing Authority. Temenos Community Development Corporation, Bread of Life's sister organization, will provide services on site. Those include case management, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills training and nutrition help.
The location matters, too. The building is in walkable Midtown near the METRO light rail, close to jobs, schools and health care.
A full-circle ribbon cutting
The ceremony drew a crowd. Tina Knowles and Kelly Rowland attended, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter made a surprise appearance. Houston Mayor John Whitmire, U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis were also there.
"I have so many memories here, and I want to thank Juanita and Rudy because your prayers have held us up," Knowles-Carter said, according to the release. "This church was our foundation."
Pastor Rudy Rasmus founded Bread of Life with his wife, Pastor Juanita Rasmus, in 1992. "The opening of Knowles-Rowland House is the culmination of years of hard work and welcome participation by so many people who ensured this project came to fruition," he said.
Tina Knowles called the opening "full circle." She said the center had given her a place to teach her daughters to give back.
Investors spoke about the model. "By combining permanent supportive housing with comprehensive social services, this project will provide stability and dignity for people who have experienced chronic homelessness," said Sam Spencer, CEO and managing director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management. Noelle St.Clair Lentz, CEO of Allivate Impact Capital, called it "a foundation for stability, a source of hope."
Residents in permanent supportive housing can stay as long as they need to, with services that help them keep their housing. The release notes that permanent supportive housing has been a key part of Houston's approach to homelessness.
Why it matters for Contractors
Adaptive reuse projects like this one are a different kind of job than a new apartment building on a cleared lot. Crews rebuilding a fire-damaged structure have to assess what can be saved, bring the building up to current codes and fit 31 apartments plus service space into a footprint that was designed for something else.
This job also shows how many partners can sit behind a 31-unit building. Equity investors, county ARPA dollars, banks, Rice Management Company and Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas funds all played a part, and the rents are covered by federal vouchers. Contractors who work on projects like this often answer to more than one funder, each with its own paperwork and inspections.
For Houston builders, renovation and conversion work is worth watching as nonprofits and investors look for ways to add supportive housing in neighborhoods close to transit and services. Older buildings in good locations are worth a second look, and the jobs that reuse them need contractors who know how to work with existing conditions, from structure and fire damage to the mechanical systems that have to be brought up to date.