- Protesters demand stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures and an end to evictions without alternative accommodation
MADRID: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday to protest Spain’s worsening housing crisis, demanding stronger protections for tenants, tougher measures against housing fraud and a ban on evictions when no alternative accommodation is available.
The demonstration followed the highly publicized eviction earlier this week of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for decades, turning her case into a focal point of the country’s broader housing debate.
Abascal was removed from her home on a stretcher in Madrid’s affluent Retiro district on Wednesday and taken to hospital. Protesters and supporters gathered as she was placed in an ambulance.
According to Spanish media reports and the Madrid Tenants’ Union, Abascal’s father first rented the apartment in 1956. She continued living there after her parents died under a rent-control regime.
The property changed ownership in 2018, when Abascal was reportedly offered the opportunity to purchase the apartment but was unable to afford it. The property was later acquired by investment fund Urbagestión, which increased her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650 before subsequently reducing it to €1,650 — still beyond what she could afford on her pension, according to the tenants’ union.
Spanish courts had previously blocked three attempts to evict her.
Her case has since become a symbol of the growing concerns over housing affordability, particularly among elderly and lower-income residents.
“We’re here because housing is a problem that already affects all of society, all ages and classes,” said protester Dora Garcia, a 55-year-old nurse. “Housing is a right and we don’t have it.”
Another demonstrator, teacher Simón de la Riva, 43, said Abascal’s eviction had intensified public anger over rising housing costs and displacement.
“This whole housing situation is heartbreaking,” he said, describing Abascal’s case as a catalyst for wider social concern over evictions and the affordability of housing.
Protesters Occupy Puerta del Sol
The march ended at Puerta del Sol, where protesters sat down in the central square and some erected tents, indicating plans to remain there overnight or longer. Police subsequently moved to clear the gathering.
Spain’s housing pressures have intensified despite strong economic growth, with rapidly rising housing costs and limited supply making it increasingly difficult for many households to secure affordable accommodation.
Analysts have pointed to population growth driven by tourism and immigration in major cities as additional pressure on already limited housing stock, while household incomes have not kept pace with housing costs.
The Bank of Spain has estimated that the country faced a housing shortage of around 550,000 homes last year, with Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia among the areas facing significant pressure.
Spain also has one of the smallest public rental-housing sectors among OECD countries. Public rental housing accounts for less than 2 percent of the country’s housing stock, compared with an average of around 8 percent across the European Union.
Spain previously used public funds to construct housing that was subsequently transferred into private ownership, further reducing the stock of publicly available housing.
Speaking from her hospital bed in a video released by the tenants’ union, Abascal said she had been unable to prevent the loss of her own home but hoped her experience would encourage others to defend their housing rights.
“I haven’t managed to defend my home, but I have fought so that others can learn to fight for what’s theirs,” she said.
BY: The Times Union
