Terri Massey was used to hearing the cliches.
The ones about how everyone goes through hard times, and eventually she’d figure out how to get through her own struggles.
But Massey’s problems were unique. She was homeless, surviving with two young daughters in extended-stay hotels and working a full-time job. She did that for more than two years.
Massey, 34, didn’t need encouragement. She needed help.
That’s what she found with Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana. HVAF paid for a hotel until Massey could move into an apartment. The organization even paid for the first two months of rent.
“I was grateful that somebody actually listened,” Massey, a Navy veteran, said in May on the balcony of her eastside apartment.
Are you a veteran in need?
Contact Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana at 317-951-0688.
You can also fill out a contact form online.
HVAF has a new initiative, the Women’s Warrior Fund, to help women veterans like Massey. The group is using a $50,000 grant from Daughters of the American Revolution to support the effort.
Even as there are signs of veteran homelessness getting better in Indianapolis, there’s been a slight increase in how many women veterans go to HVAF for help.
Emmy Hildebrand, the organization’s CEO, said 14% of veterans served in 2025 were women. That was up from 11% in 2020.
Why focusing on women veterans is important
The Women’s Warrior Fund doesn’t come with new services. HVAF already helps veterans with emergency housing, transportation or support finding a job.
But Hildebrand said the money will help HVAF target those services to women veterans.
“They often have complex and challenging needs,” Hildebrand said.
Women veterans may be single moms, like Massey is. They may have experienced military sexual trauma. For women in general, domestic violence is often cited as the leading cause of homelessness.
Then there are the stereotypes — the ones that Massey knows. They come not just with being in the military, but also being a mother.
‘I’m not supposed to fail’
By the time Massey started living out of hotels, her youngest daughter was only 6 months old. Her oldest daughter was turning 4.
“As a mother, I’m not supposed to fail,” Massey said. “I have to figure it out.”
Massey became homeless after her mother died. She had lived with her mom and been her caretaker.
“I kind of gave up on myself at that point,” she said.
Even after getting help from HVAF, Massey said her mental health deteriorated to the point where she stopped communicating with the people who had been helping her. But after reconnecting in February, Massey said the organization was understanding.
Now, Massey is also part of the organization’s employment program. And she’s taking classes at Ivy Tech.
Her goal is to get back to Indiana University — where she started before joining the Navy — and finish her degree in psychology.
“I’m taking the untraditional route,” Massey said. “But I know I’m gonna get there.”
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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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