NOVATO (KRON) — A Novato organization dedicated to helping the homeless is now scrambling to find the funds to replace thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen by thieves.
Construction for the Oma Village is near completion, but now there’s a setback.
Police believe the village was targeted, but because this is a construction site, there are no surveillance cameras.
In fact, there are no surveillance cameras in the entire vicinity, which makes it even more difficult, seeing that the equipment was all stolen overnight.
Construction on the $5.5 million project is almost complete.
Soon, there will be a playground for the children moving in, and a community room where families can socialize.
“This a place for people who really haven’t had anything, and they’re trying to build something,” said Maura Thurman, who is with Homeward Bound
There is now a bit of a setback. Sometime over the weekend, thieves pried open the side door to the lounge and stole thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
“The refrigerator, stove, two toilets, built in microwave, garbage disposals, and then a lot of lighting and electrical equipment,” Thurman said.
It’s unfortunate because those items were to benefit families that will be transitioning out of homeless shelters and into Oma Village.
Police believe whoever is responsible zeroed in on the site.
“Somebody would’ve had to have known what stage of the construction process was in, that there’d be uninstalled appliances left in the facility and waiting to be installed in the final stages of the installation process,” Novato police Lt. Oliver Collins said.
Homeward Bound will have to figure out how to get an additional $12,000 to replace everything that has been stolen.
Regardless of what happens, the grand opening will be Oct. 19 to welcome the families that will be living here.