Evicted 87-year-old woman to return to Madrid home after protests

Large protests have erupted in Spain over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maria del Carmen Abascal, who is set to return to her Madrid home, according to her representatives. The lawyer representing Abascal stated on Tuesday that the real estate firm has agreed to reduce her rent back to its pre-dispute rate. Under the new agreement, her monthly payments will be capped at approximately $570 for the next eight years, which will account for about 30 percent of her pension. This development follows her eviction last week. Abascal became a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis after an international investment fund purchased her building and increased her rent by over 200 percent to around $1,880 per month, a move intended to displace long-term tenants for more profitable tourist apartments. Madrid’s tenants’ union organized protests and encampments in the central Puerta del Sol square, attracting tens of thousands of demonstrators and spreading to numerous other cities. Following the landlord’s offer, the union celebrated what it termed a “historic win” in a post on X. In response to the public outcry, the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to present a package of measures for parliamentary vote this Friday. The proposal, which is expected to gain approval, aims to extend expired tenant protections through 2030, providing safeguards for vulnerable residents like Abascal against eviction during that time. However, the package does not fully meet the protesters’ demands and may encounter opposition from conservative parties that are more aligned with landlords’ interests. Spain’s central bank reports that the country is currently short by approximately 755,000 homes to meet demand, a gap that could increase to one million units by 2028.