87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home
Spain’s coalition government said it had agreed on proposals including banning evictions until 2030 to address the country’s housing crisis, as the 87-year-old woman whose forced removal last week triggered protests accepted an offer to return home. Hundreds of people remained camped in one of Madrid’s main squares on Tuesday to protest Maricarmen Abascal’s removal from her home on a stretcher…
The 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, evicted from her home in Madrid last week, is set to return to her residence. She accepted an offer that would enable her to move back, paying 30% of her pension over eight years, amounting to approximately €500 (US$569) per month. This arrangement aims to keep her living situation similar to what it was prior to her eviction.
Abascal's forced removal had sparked widespread protests in Madrid's main city square. Hundreds gathered to demand legal reforms, including a rent freeze and the automatic renewal of leases without abusive hikes. Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed that the ruling Socialist party had agreed to a package of new measures with its junior partner Sumar. These measures include extending lease terms until 2028 and prohibiting "vulture funds" from participating in the housing market.
However, the minority government faces challenges in securing support within the fragmented parliament to pass these measures. The government is also working on defining what constitutes a "vulture fund," which could encompass any fund or company involved in speculative housing investments, such as Urbagestion, the firm responsible for Abascal's eviction.
The decree on these measures will be debated in parliament on Friday. The automatic rollover of contracts is expected to be addressed in a separate second decree. While Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party, acknowledges the need to halt evictions involving funds with substantial assets, they argue against lumping all property owners into that category. They stress the importance of protecting small landlords, who comprise the majority of property owners in Spain.
Madrid's tenants' union remains critical of the government's decision to split the proposed measures into two decrees. They assert that the ongoing encampment in Madrid and demonstrations across the country will persist until all demands are met. The lawyer representing Abascal emphasized that the eviction was unjustified and hopes this case will contribute to addressing the ongoing housing crisis in Spain.
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