INDIANAPOLIS — Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana (HVAF) is hoping to reopen the newly renovated units of Manchester Apartments in the coming weeks and said none of this would have been possible without the help of the community.
It's been almost 8 months since a fire devastated a downtown transitional housing facility for veterans.
Now, the north tower is almost ready to reopen. New beds, fresh paint and a fresh start at Manchester Apartments.
HVAF said Manchester Apartments is the largest transitional housing facility for veterans facing homelessness. It's a place to help them get back on their feet.
"All these towers here at Manchester are either one or two bedrooms," said CEO Emmy Hildebrand.
When the fire broke out back in October, it displaced 48 veterans. Residents acted quickly and helped each other get out to safety.
"There was no color barriers, there was no age barriers. There was no rich or poor. It was just love," said resident Daniel Mallory.
Nobody was hurt in the fire, and 8 months later, one tower is nearly rebuilt.
"It's really exciting," Hildebrand said regarding the progress. "The night of the fire, just the emotions were so heavy and it's hard to think in the middle of a crisis, how you might rebuild and how you might recover but, thanks to our community, just a few short months later, we're sitting in a new unit."
Hildebrand said donations from the community, including clothing, money, and other items, poured in.
With the rebuild, Hildebrand says they will be able to house even more veterans.
"We're adding 14 more units, removing our pantry over there, which will double our pantry space so that we'll be better prepared to serve veterans in the future," she said.
The north tower will house 23 vets.
The south tower is still under construction, but Hildebrand said there will be more beds and resources.
The community is invited to check out the progress from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
"We just want to invite the community, thank them for their generosity after the fire and for helping us get this far," Hildebrand said.
Finishing touches are happening this week, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will inspect the building at the end of June. Then, veterans will be able to move in.
