Elderly Madrid Resident's Eviction Sparks Nationwide Housing Protests

An 87-year-old Madrid resident was evicted from the apartment she had occupied since 1956, prompting tens of thousands of people to protest in the capital and other cities. Demonstrators gathered in Madrid's Puerta del Sol and camped overnight, demanding stronger tenant safeguards and a ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available.

María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, was taken to Gregorio Marañón Hospital after the eviction and remains there for medical tests. In a video message, she urged supporters to continue fighting for their homes, saying, "I did not manage to defend my home, but I have fought so that others learn to fight for theirs."

Abascal's lease, originally inherited from her parents, was subject to a rent increase after the building was bought by real-estate firm Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión in 2018. The company later pursued legal action to terminate the lease, and after several court rulings in its favor, the eviction was carried out despite mediation attempts and offers of partial rent payment.

City officials said the firm had proposed placing the property in the municipal ReViVa program to offer it to Abascal at affordable terms, but the proposal was rejected as non-compliant with program rules. The municipal housing agency will instead mediate between the parties.

The case has highlighted Spain's broader housing crisis, with rents in Madrid having nearly doubled over the past decade and home prices more than tripling. The Bank of Spain attributes the shortage to a deficit of roughly 755,000 homes, projected to approach one million by 2028.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez referenced the eviction in a rally, pledging a new housing decree, while regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso blamed the national government for the legal framework that allowed the removal. Both national and regional authorities have faced criticism for their handling of the situation.