A transitional housing facility for veterans is set to reopen almost two years after a fire displaced 48 people living there.
The South Tower at Manchester Apartments, where the electrical fire started, was heavily damaged. But the extensive renovation was also a silver lining for Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana, which operates the apartments.
“That gave us a blank canvas that we can completely redesign,” Emmy Hildebrand, the organization’s CEO, told Mirror Indy during a tour of the renovated portion of the complex.
All together, Manchester Apartment now has 61 units, which is 10 more than before the fire.
Veterans will find a move-in kit put together by volunteers with household items such as blankets and cleaning supplies.
“It’s ready for someone to call home,” Hildebrand said.
The apartments partially reopened in 2025 on the north side of the building, which mostly had water damage from the fire.
Most of the apartments are for transitional housing, meaning veterans stay for around six months before moving into their own apartment. Some units are for permanent supportive housing, which comes with case management.
A room compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act is seen at Helping Hoosiers and Families of Indiana’s renovated Manchester Apartments on Aug. 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. Credit: Abra Richardson/Mirror Indy 
Renovations at Helping Hoosiers and Families of Indiana’s Manchester Apartments include a new food and clothing pantry, seen on Aug. 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. Credit: Abra Richardson/Mirror Indy 
A room compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act is seen at Helping Hoosiers and Families of Indiana’s renovated Manchester Apartments on Aug. 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. Credit: Abra Richardson/Mirror Indy 
Helping Hoosiers and Families of Indiana’s renovated Manchester Apartments is seen Aug. 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. Credit: Abra Richardson/Mirror Indy
Five units in the North Tower are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those units come with accommodations such as a lower microwave and roll-up shower. Before, Manchester Apartments didn’t have any ADA-accessible units.
The organization also has a new food and clothing pantry in the North Tower.
Although it’s roughly the same size as the old pantry, the layout has room for more shelves and an extra freezer.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has to do a final inspection of the renovated units, which was expected to happen Friday.
Veterans could begin moving into the new units as early as Aug. 10, and the new pantry will open Aug. 11.
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Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.
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