Tens of thousands protest housing crisis, as Spain calls early election

Madrid (AP) — Spain's government is set to approve urgent measures addressing the country's housing crisis on Tuesday, following violent protests in Barcelona the previous night. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Barcelona, where an 87-year-old woman was evicted, sparking demonstrations across the nation demanding action to resolve the crisis.

The unrest erupted after protests over the weekend, calling for measures to address the housing crisis ignited by the eviction of the elderly woman in Madrid. In Barcelona, a severe weather alert had previously delayed the protest originally scheduled for Monday. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's administration is anticipated to approve measures akin to those previously rejected by Parliament, which prompted his call for early elections on November 29.

Should the government approve the measures, they will be submitted for ratification by an interim legislature responsible until the scheduled elections. Sánchez will provide updates on the situation in a news conference later on Tuesday. The proposed measures aim to extend protection against evictions for vulnerable individuals until 2030, regulate room rentals, impose a new tax on seasonal rentals, prohibit speculative real estate purchases, and provide tax breaks for landlords.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez informed reporters last week about the intended measures. The housing crisis in Spain, exacerbated by rising costs and a shortage of housing, is pushing many Spaniards out of the housing market, despite the country's robust economic growth in Europe's fourth-largest economy.