Missy Elliott Donates $50K To Help Families Facing Eviction In Virginia

Missy Elliott is giving back to her hometown.

The Grammy award-winning rapper returned to her native in Portsmouth, Virginia for “Missy Elliott Day” where she announced a $50,000 donation to Portsmouth Redevelopment Housing Authority. Thanks to the donation, 26 families facing possible eviction met the criteria and will receive assistance, WTKR reports.

“I feel like as artists we are celebrated a lot. So instead of it being about me I wanted it to be about the people here, my hometown,” Elliott said.

The donation will be a huge help for families in need as the threat of eviction is a real issue for many as inflation and a housing crisis continue.

“This will allow them to remain in their homes. This will allow them to start fresh with a clean slate,” Alisa Winston, executive director for Portsmouth Redevelopment Housing Authority, said.

“It’s a big deal, it’s huge. It keeps families together, and it gives people, once again, hope,” Shannon Glover, Portsmouth’s mayor said.

Helping families in need is special to Elliott as she experienced her own personal struggles while growing up in a single-parent household in Portsmouth.

“Especially for me who has been in a situation like that, my mother is a single mother, that’s what made it important,” the rapper said.

“Because I feel like I can relate to being in a place where you just don’t know where you’re going next.”

Missy’s mother is happy to see her daughter return home and give back to a city that helped cultivate her talents.

“The people are very caring here in Portsmouth. They are really good people.,” Pat Elliott said.

“So when we left and my daughter went to different places all over the world, she grabbed that DNA from the beautiful people here. We won’t forget it.”

The donation comes on the second annual “Missy Elliot Day” in Portsmouth where a renaming ceremony and parade were held to celebrate the change of McLean Street to Missy Elliott Boulevard and the rapper received a key to the city.