Housing Crisis Flashpoint
Madrid Eviction of 87-Year-Old Woman Sparks Nationwide Housing Protests Across Spain
Anonymous
Key Points
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Spain’s public housing stock accounts for just 1.2% of all homes, substantially below the share in countries including Britain, France and the Netherlands.
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Over the past decade, the average price per square metre for both rentals and homes for sale in Spain rose by around 50%, according to Idealista and official figures.
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Spain’s consumer group OCU said finding an apartment in Madrid or Barcelona for less than €700 a month had become “extremely difficult” and called for more affordable rental housing.
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Maricarmen’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the property company would not even allow her a few hours to remove her belongings.
Police forcibly evicted María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner, from her Madrid apartment on September 23 after she lived there for 71 years. Head Topics reported that Abascal was removed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital, sparking violent protests across Spain. Her rent had jumped from €500 to €1,650 monthly—far exceeding her €1,350 pension—after an investment firm acquired the building in 2018.
The case has ignited a national housing crisis debate. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the eviction a "social tragedy," while Club of Mozambique noted that hundreds of protesters blocked the building and the government had criticized the eviction order. Three earlier eviction attempts had been blocked or postponed over the past six years.
A Rent Increase That Tripled Her Monthly Bills
Abascal's father rented the Retiro-area apartment in 1956 under Franco-era rent protections. For decades, her monthly rent stayed around €500. But in 2018, investment firm Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión SL bought the building and filed suit to terminate her legacy lease. This is Money reported the firm raised her rent by 275%—to €1,650 per month. Comparable units in the same building rented for as much as €2,650.
Abascal's pension of €1,350 monthly could not cover the new rent. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the company refused to grant even a few hours to remove her belongings. An anonymous donor offered to pay the rent difference, but Urbagestión rejected the offer. Times of India noted the firm filed a €10,000 damages claim against the Madrid Tenants' Union for protest campaigns.
Spain's Public Housing Crisis Leaves Elderly Vulnerable
Spain's affordable housing shortage has reached critical levels. Public housing accounts for just 1.2% of all homes—far below Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Daily Mail reported that rental and home prices across Spain surged roughly 50% over the past decade. Finding an apartment in Madrid or Barcelona for under €700 monthly has become "extremely difficult," according to Spain's consumer group OCU.
Elderly people on fixed pensions face the highest displacement risk. Abascal's case exposes a legal loophole: investment firms buy buildings with long-term tenants, then pursue aggressive rent increases to force them out. Three separate eviction attempts against Abascal between 2020 and 2026 were blocked or postponed before the September 23 execution.
Police Use Force Against Protesters as Political Tensions Spike
On September 22, over 400 demonstrators and the Madrid Tenants' Union blockaded the building. Head Topics reported that police used pepper spray and force to clear protesters. The Tenants' Union accused officers of striking demonstrators' heads—claims of "disproportionate force." The standoff highlighted deep political divisions between Spain's federal government and Madrid's conservative local authorities.
Prime Minister Sánchez blamed Madrid's City Council, saying regional leaders cared more about "buying luxury penthouses" than solving housing. He pushed for strict national anti-eviction rules and rent controls. However, Spain's divided parliament—with right-wing and conservative parties blocking reform—has stalled housing protection decrees. Abascal's eviction has become a symbol of gentrification driven by real estate speculation.
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