Protests against Spain’s housing crisis resumed on 23 September when María del Carmen Abascal was forcibly evicted by police from the home where she had lived in Madrid for 70 years. As protesters set up tents in Puerta del Sol, the demonstrations spread to many cities, particularly Barcelona, where around 30 thousand people marched on Saturday. Abascal’s lawyers announced that the 87-year-old woman could return to her home under a preliminary agreement reached with the real estate company. The final contract has not yet been signed. Lawyer Beatriz Duro said the social movement had been influential in the agreement. Her supporters say that Abascal’s rent was increased by 275% even though she had paid it regularly. Duro said she had been offered a rent equivalent to 30% of her income and an 8-year contract; she did not disclose the amount. Urbagestión did not comment. Over the past 10 years, the average rent rose to 15.10 euros per square metre in August. The Bank of Spain reported a housing shortage of 700 thousand homes. PSOE and Sumar agreed on new rent measures, but they do not have a parliamentary majority.
Why it matters
What Abascal has experienced shows that even tenants who pay their rent regularly can remain vulnerable to changes in the terms of their contracts. The spread of the protests to different cities reveals that the issue has evolved from a single eviction case into nationwide political pressure centered on housing costs and housing supply. The rise in average rents and the 700 thousand-home shortfall suggest that the problem cannot be resolved through rental contracts alone, and that supply, income and tenant protections must be addressed together. Although the agreement between PSOE and Sumar demonstrates the political response to this pressure, the lack of a parliamentary majority leaves the feasibility of the new measures uncertain. In addition, the fact that the final contract for Abascal’s return home has not yet been signed shows that the concrete outcome of the social intervention has not been finalized.