Who’s a vulture? Spain struggles to identify culprits in fury over evictions

Spain is grappling with identifying the culprits behind a housing crisis that culminated in the tragic death of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez blamed "vulture funds" for evictions like Abascal's, declaring that emergency housing legislation would protect against their predatory practices. However, the definition of these so-called predators remains unclear, as many small landlords are now being included in the government's net.

Urbagestión, the small consultancy that increased Abascal's rent to more than her pension, may not be a "fund," but it is being labeled a "vulture SME" by Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez. The government's new legislation aims to target those who view housing as a commodity to be speculated on, including anyone who makes a profit in the market and owns five or more properties in areas with housing shortages.

While the measures protect nearly 5 million people, including 122,683 at risk of eviction, critics argue that they will exacerbate the rental home shortage in the long term.