A transitional housing for homeless veterans recently caught fire in Indianapolisand it could take months for those veterans to find permanent housing.

The Manchester Apartments fire displaced 48 Indiana veterans facing homelessness. The building is run by the nonprofit Helping Veterans and Families, or HVAF. The group is Indiana’s largest provider of services to veterans experiencing homelessness and provides housing for about 100 people a night.

HVAF CEO Emmy Hildebrand said all veterans have been accounted for and are now being temporarily housed at three hotels in the city.

“We’re really lucky that all 48 veterans made it out safely with just those three minor injuries, but everyone is fine and it’s a miracle,” Hildebrand said.

There are 51 units at Manchester Apartments. Three of the units were vacant at the time of the fire.

An investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Indianapolis Fire Department determined that the fire was accidental and started in the attic of the facility.

Plans are underway to find more permanent housing for the veterans, but it could take several months. Hildebrand said he expects repairs to the property to take more than a year.

“Our most vulnerable veterans deserve our support, especially when dealing with homelessness, and the weekend fire makes that even more difficult for our veterans,” she said.

Boxes of supplies and carts of donated clothes were wheeled into the Colonel Donald W. Moreau Sr. Veterans Community Center on Wednesday for dozens of displaced residents.

There was minimal damage to the community center and HVAF headquarters, which is attached to the housing units. HVAF Administration will continue operations at the downtown location, including pantry hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also additional pantry hours for displaced veterans throughout the week.

With Veterans Day around the corner, there are a number of campaigns and events to help the HVAF during this time. This includes a Veterans Day benefit concert with the Circle City Sound Choir on Monday, November 11 at Lutheran High School.

Hildebrand said the organization still needs the community’s support as they begin to “rebuild and recover over the next two years.”

“We really rely on our community to rally around us and make sure that veterans are taken care of and that our agency continues to be a resource and a beacon of hope for veterans who need it,” Hildebrand said.

The the organization needs of food, clothing, toiletries, transportation, permanent housing options, and mental health resources. HVAF has an on-site therapist for displaced vets.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis had a downward trend in recent years.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition anchor and reporter Abriana Herron at [email protected].