Spain proposes housing measures after pensioner’s eviction sparks protests

Spain’s coalition government agreed Tuesday on measures aimed at easing the country’s housing crisis after the eviction of an 87-year-old Madrid pensioner prompted large protests.

María del Carmen “Maricarmen” Abascal was removed on a stretcher Wednesday from the Retiro neighborhood apartment where she had lived for decades. Her father first rented the home in 1956, and she remained after her parents died. According to the Madrid Tenants’ Union, an investment fund that acquired the unit raised her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650 before reducing it to €1,650, which she still could not afford on her pension. Courts had blocked three previous eviction attempts.

Protesters marched through central Madrid on Saturday, demanding stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures and an end to evictions when no alternative housing is available. Authorities estimated attendance at about 25,000, while organizers claimed more than 300,000. Some demonstrators later pitched tents in Puerta del Sol.

On Monday, Abascal’s lawyer said she had reached an agreement with the property owners allowing her to return home.

The government’s proposed housing package includes a ban on evictions until 2030, tighter regulation of short-term rentals and two-year extensions for existing leases, Deutsche Welle reported. The measures must still pass parliament, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority government depends on support from other parties.

The Bank of Spain estimated a national shortage of about 550,000 homes last year, with Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia accounting for a substantial share.