Complex for homeless veterans could take years to ‘rebuild and recover’ after fire

A transitional housing property for homeless veterans recently caught fire in Indianapolis, and it could take months for those veterans to find permanent housing.

The fire at Manchester Apartments displaced 48 Indiana veterans experiencing homelessness. The building is run by the nonprofit, Helping Veterans and Families or HVAF. The group is Indiana’s largest service provider for veterans experiencing homelessness and provides housing for about 100 people a night.

HVAF CEO Emmy Hildebrand said all veterans were accounted for and are now temporarily housed at three hotels across the city.

“We are really fortunate that all 48 veterans made it out safely with only those three minor injuries, but everyone is fine, and that's a miracle,” Hildebrand said.

There are 51 units at Manchester Apartments. Three of the units were vacant at the time of the fire.

An investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Indianapolis Fire Department determined the fire was accidental and started in the attic of the facility.

Plans are underway to find more permanent housing for the veterans, but it may take several months. Hildebrand said she expects repairs to the property to take over a year.

“The most vulnerable veterans deserve our support, especially when they're facing homelessness, and the fire over the weekend just complicates that even further for our veterans,” she said.

Boxes of supplies and carts of donated clothes were hauled Wednesday into the Colonel Donald W. Moreau Sr. Veterans Community Center for the dozens of displaced residents.

There was minimal damage to the community center and HVAF headquarters, which is attached to the housing units. HVAF administration will continue its operations at the downtown location, including pantry hours on Tuesday and Thursday. There are also additional pantry hours for the displaced veterans throughout the week.

With Veterans Day around the corner, there are a number of campaigns and events to assist HVAF during this time. That includes a Veterans Day Benefit Concert with the Circle City Sound Barbershop Chorus Monday, Nov. 11 at Lutheran High School.

Hildebrand said the organization is still in need of community support as they begin to “rebuild and recover over the next two years.”

“We're really relying on our community to rally around us and make sure that the veterans are taken care of and that our agency continues to be a resource and a beacon of hope for veterans who need it,” Hildebrand said.

The organization is in need of food, clothing, hygiene items, transportation, permanent housing options and mental health resources. HVAF has one therapist onsite for the displaced vets.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis has been trending down in recent years.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Abriana Herron at aherron@wfyi.org.