Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis veteran shelter damaged in fires last year makes progress in reopening
Fire engulfs former Marsh grocery store in Irvington Saturday night
Indianapolis Fire Fighters worked for hours trying to put out a fire at the abandoned Marsh in the Irvington shopping plaza Saturday going into Sunday
Months after a devastating fire tore through Indianapolis’ largest veteran shelter, leadership with Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana announced Tuesday that it had made significant progress in rebuilding the downtown shelter.
Over the past several months, HVAF staff and volunteers have fixed issues inside the Manchester Apartments that were heavily damaged from fire, smoke and water, ultimately getting the property prepared for contractors to start rebuilding the shelter.
The October 2024 fire caused significant damage to the property’s north and south corridor, which primarily housed the shelter’s 48 transitional housing beds and ultimately displaced over 45 people.
Shortly after the fire was extinguished, investigators with the Indianapolis Fire Department and the Indianapolis Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the fire had started in the building’s attic but were unable to determine what had initially ignited the fire. Ultimately investigators deemed the fire an accident.
Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana leadership believes that it might be able to reopen its north corridor, which houses 23 of the non-profit’s 48 transitional housing beds, within the next few months.
The non-profit has made significant progress in reconstructing the north corridor of the building, as well as completing assessment reports on the structure’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, which are needed to reopen.
As part of the new construction, Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana is planning to install upgraded electrical panels, all new windows and enhanced fire safety systems.
“The support from our community has been remarkable. With this new chapter of Manchester Apartments, we are creating more opportunity for veterans to begin their journeys toward self-sufficiency,” Emmy Hildebrand, CEO of Helping Veterans And Families said in a press release about the construction update.
When it comes to the progress of the property’s south corridor, non-profit leadership is planning to redesign the whole wing as the original structure was heavily damaged by the fires.
To continue its goal of supporting veterans throughout this reconstruction process, non-profit leaders are collaborating with a local, veteran-owned architecture firm to help redesign the south corridor. Leadership is planning on including additional housing units for veterans as well as expanding its food and clothing pantry space.
The non-profit can make these improvements, thanks to the donations provided by the community and insurance coverage.
Since Oct. 27, 2024, 84% of veterans who left Helping Veterans and Families transitional housing were able to successfully exit into permanent housing.
“Each successful exit represents a veteran whose homelessness has ended. Despite the immense challenges posed by the fire at Manchester Apartments, I’m beyond proud of our team for continuing to provide high-quality services during such a trying time,” Hildebrand said.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@gannett.com. Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com, and follow him on X @1NoePadilla or Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.