Temenos, founded by Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus, traces its roots back to their church, St. John’s Downtown, where Beyoncé attended service and was baptized with Kelly Rowland. The church welcomed people who sheltered under the nearby I-45 into its congregation and soon saw how difficult it was for them to find housing.

Beyoncé, Solange and Lawson originally partnered with Temenos Community Development Corp. in 2006 with the desire to help people left homeless after Hurricane Katrina, according to Temenos founder Rudy Rasmus. That building, Temenos’ first, was named Knowles-Temenos Place.

2014

Temenos Place II was a four-story, 80-unit permanent supportive housing facility in Houston, developed by Temenos CDC to serve individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Opened in 2014, it provided fully equipped efficiency units alongside ADA-accessible spaces, shared amenities, and access to critical support services. In early 2024, the building was decommissioned to accommodate the expansion of I-45, and residents were seamlessly transitioned to the new Rasmus-Temenos building. Though the original structure is gone, its legacy lives on through Bread of Life and Temenos CDC’s continued commitment to housing with dignity and care.

2024

Rasmus-Temenos, located in Midtown at 1703 Gray St., is a $34.8 million project that replaces Temenos II, another affordable housing community set for demolition by the Texas Department of Transportation to accommodate highway improvements on I-45, according to the release. The property has a dedicated floor for at-risk youth, and it will replace the 80 units lost with the demolition of Temenos II, according to the release. The project has received financial support from various public and private sources:

$12.5 million from the City of Houston Housing and Community Development
$11 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for Disaster Recovery from Harris County
$10.3 million in tax credit equity from WNC
$10 million in construction financing from Key Bank
$735,000 self-funded loan from Temenos CDC

Additionally, the development benefited from tax-exempt bonds from the Houston Housing Finance Corp. and 4 percent tax credits allocated by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The Houston Housing Authority also will also provide rental subsidies in the form of some $600,000 in annual services funding allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with the support of Coalition for the Homeless. Support for the project also came in the form of $14 million as City of Houston HOME Reinvestment and $1.5 million as Bond Reinvestment, as well as a $265,621 deferred developer fee.

2025

Knowles-Rowland House consists of the adaptive reuse of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, transforming it into permanent support housing for people who have experienced “chronic homelessness.” Chronic homelessness is deﬁned by the U.S. Department of Housing Urban Development (“HUD”) as being homeless continuously for at least one year or having at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years totaling at least 12 months. Originally constructed in 1999 as a gymnasium and youth center using funds derived from the earnings of Destiny’s Child ﬁrst single and named after band members/longtime church members Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth experienced signiﬁcant damage due to Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and a ﬁre in 2021 and has since been primarily used for storage. The redevelopment of the site will create 31 units of supportive housing, including 16 units designed with accommodations for those with mobility or sensory impairments. The project is sponsored by the Bread of Life, a well-respected nonproﬁt afﬁliated with St. John’s Downtown Church that focuses on issues of homelessness, health, and hunger relief. Residents will have access to a range of social services including case management, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills training, and nutrition assistance through a partnership with Temenos Community Development Corporation, Bread of Life’s sister organization.

2026

The Weirton is a permanent supportive housing project to be constructed at 3208 Austin Street in Midtown, Houston. The project will create 62 permanent supportive housing (PSH) units for people who have experienced chronic homelessness. The project will also create 3,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial space, and 65 parking spaces. Residents of the Weirton will have access to a range of programmatic social services including case management, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills training, and nutrition assistance through a partnership with Temenos Community Development Corporation, Bread of Life’s sister organization. The project features community meeting rooms, dining areas, supportive service offices, outdoor space, training rooms, and controlled access to the property, facilitating a dignified and meaningful residential experience. The project is located within the highly walkable Midtown neighborhood, and is near the Houston METROlight rail system, giving residents easy access to all major employment and education hubs throughout the city. The Weirton will be Bread of Life’s fifth PSH project in Greater Houston.

2026

The Florence: Midtown Houston Respite Facility The Florence respite facility being developed in midtown Houston will house 40-48 rooms. The facility will serve a critical demographic by providing an alternative to extended hospital stays. This development may attract additional investment opportunities located on the Bread of Life campus within an opportunity zone. The three-story facility will benefit from its proximity to restaurants, retail establishments, and public transportation. Designed as a state-of-the-art facility, The Florence will provide a bright, uplifting environment for patients and staff. The primary purpose of The Florence is to bridge the gap between costly hospital stays and continued care, giving healthcare providers another placement option for patients while alleviating pressure on our overburdened healthcare system. Completion of The Florence is scheduled for late fall 2026.

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