Sports halls were being targeted for use as refugee centers, causing widespread unhappiness and fear amongst sports clubs worried about whether they would still be able to operate. Mayor of Bonn, Ashok Sridharan, says the temporary stop means the sports halls will be left alone for now. Authorities are urgently looking for other housing alternatives for the refugees. Container-type housing is being erected on Schlesienstraße in Tannenbusch and should hold 180 people.

Rhine-Sieg county has not yet heard anything about a temporary stop to the flow of refugees to shelters there. Meanwhile, Sridharan is in discussions about using German military properties to house refugees, but many other avenues are also being explored. The City Sports Association (SSB) met on Wednesday evening to address the situation, and they were told by the city how difficult it is to find proper housing. Empty buildings and properties might be offered to the city for refugee use but they don’t all meet building codes. Fire safety standards must be adhered to and authorities must ensure the buildings are free of hazardous materials.

Sports clubs still have many questions about why other alternatives cannot be found, and head of the Bonn sports department, Martin Schumacher, has called for a round table meeting with all involved parties to discuss the issues. Bonn Center, the big old building with the Mercedes symbol on top, has been a topic of discussion. Authorities considered using it to house refugees but is scheduled to be torn down. Arne Hilbert of Real Estate Cologne, said he could make it available for refugee housing but only until June 30. Housing the refugees will remain a huge challenge for Bonn despite the temporary reprieve until Easter. It seems at this time, there are many more questions than answers, and solutions waiting to be found.

(Orig. text: Rolf Kleinfeld)