Veteran housing to partially reopen this summer, with expansion on the way

A transitional housing complex for veterans in Indianapolis is set to reopen, and local veterans could move in as early as May.

Construction of the Manchester Apartment complex began in late 2024 after a fire heavily damaged the property and displaced nearly 50 veterans.

Helping Veterans and Families, or HVAF, is the nonprofit that manages the building. Officials with the organization announced the northern corridor of the complex will open to nearly two dozen veterans this summer.

The southern portion of the complex, which experienced the most damage, is expected to take 2 years to complete.

Expansion is coming to the transitional property, according to HVAF CEO Emmy Hildebrand.

“We’re really excited to add more units,” Hildebrand said. “That is to the core of our mission, to end veteran homelessness and also to increase the pantry size.”

Renovations will include 23 remodeled units in the northern portion of the complex. The southern corridor will house another 44 units once completed.

Guidon Design, a veteran-owned business, helped with the remediation project.

Grants, insurance, donations and community partnerships made the expansion possible and, Hildebrand said, enabled the organization to bolster its support and services for local veterans.

“That's really the lesson for us and other providers, is that we don't work and live in a vacuum,” she said. “There are other resources that we need to collaborate with to make sure that we're providing the best care possible.”

Since the fire all 48 veterans affected have found transitional or permanent housing, and around 84% of all veterans in the transitional housing program have successfully moved into permanent housing, officials said.

HVAF is Indiana’s largest service provider for veterans experiencing homelessness. In 2024 the group helped more than 1,300 local veterans across all its programs.

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