STOCKTON, Calif. — A new grant is aiming to help small businesses in Stockton recover from the financial impacts of broken windows.
The city has allocated $250,000 from its general fund to make the grant possible. Business owners are eligible for reimbursements of up to $800 per broken window, and up to $2,000 per business location.
The grant, which was announced Wednesday, came right in time for Manish Jamnadas who owns Stockton's One-Hour Martinizing. A burglar broke into his 35-year-old dry cleaning business near the corner of March Lane and Pershing Avenue about a week ago.
"It's something, it will help small businesses out," said Jamnadas. "But again, it's a short-term thing."
After being in business for more than three decades, Jamnadas said he never had to deal with shattered glass on the ground in front of his shop until last year. Since then, burglars have allegedly broken in three more times, in each case, leaving windows shattered overnight.
"Waking up at 2 a.m. is not easy," said Jamnadas of getting early-morning calls from his security company about the break-ins. "It's a headache. We have to deal with it and again, it's a lot of time spent."
Each time thieves break into his business, he's forced to pay at least $800 per broken window. While he says the grant will help, he thinks more needs to be done.
"It's a short-term help, I guess, but they need to do something about it," said Jamnadas. "Just giving money, I mean, that's for just what happened recently. But what's going to happen in the future? It seems to be getting worse."
The owners of downtown Stockton restaurant Eat at Clarks are also grateful for the possible short-term help. The restaurant has been hit with at least seven break-ins since opening in January, leaving windows damaged several times.
The couple that owns the business was able to receive help from the Downtown Stockton Alliance's similar window reimbursement program, but that money is only offered to downtown businesses.
"The grant program is amazing and that is what helped us get our windows fixed up the last break-in," said co-owner Marissa Clark in a message. "If it wasn't for that grant, we would not have been able to afford to get our windows fixed. We are very thankful for their assistance in trying to make downtown Stockton a better place."
Applications for the grant are being accepted now on the city's website. The grant is being offered on a "first-come, first-served basis" until all the money is used.
In order to qualify, businesses must have a storefront located within city limits, a valid business license, an exterior broken window that was damaged on or after May 2, photos of the damage and proof of window repair that was not covered under insurance.
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