How the eviction of an 87-year-old became Spain's 'last straw'
The average rental price in Spain has almost doubled over the past decade. When Maricarmen Abascal was evicted, she became the symbol of a fed-up nation.
The eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old resident of Madrid, has ignited a national movement in Spain. For over seven decades, Maricarmen had lived in her apartment, which she inherited from her father in 1956, paying a capped rent of €500 ($811) per month. However, in 2018, the apartment was purchased by an investment firm, Urbagestión, leading to a steep rise in rent to €1,650 ($2,678) per month.
As Maricarmen, a pensioner on a disability pension of €1,350 ($2,192), was forced out of her home through a court-ordered eviction, her plight highlighted the worsening housing crisis in Spain.
The eviction sparked a deep-seated anger among Spaniards over the housing crisis, which has only worsened in recent years. This led to protests, including flotillas in front of cruise ships and water pistol demonstrations, as locals blamed tourism for driving up housing costs. However, Maricarmen's case seemed to be the catalyst for real change to protect renters' rights.
Days before her eviction, Maricarmen shared her home with writer David Uclés, who visited her living room where she watched the death of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 and the bedrooms where her parents passed away. Deeply connected to her home, Maricarmen expressed her profound gratitude, stating, "My home has been everything to me. I wouldn't exist without it."
Urbagestión attempted to raise the rent to €2,650 ($4,313), a 300% increase, leading to a lengthy court battle. Three previous attempts to evict Maricarmen were blocked by the courts. Public attention on the case grew with each appeal, prompting the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to call for the eviction to halt and offer Maricarmen affordable alternative accommodation. Madrid City Council later declined to provide her with an aged care home.
In late September, the courts ruled in Urbagestión's favor. A groundswell of protesters gathered at Maricarmen's address, resulting in police intervention the following morning. Despite the setbacks, protesters built a tent encampment at Madrid's busy Puerta del Sol, advocating for decent housing for all. With the average rental price per square metre in Spain nearly doubling in the past decade, reaching €15.10 ($24.62) per square metre in August, and Spain short of 700,000 homes, the housing crisis remains a pressing issue.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
