MADRID — Spain’s coalition government has announced proposed housing measures that could suspend evictions until 2030, as an 87-year-old disabled woman whose removal from her Madrid home sparked nationwide protests has accepted an offer allowing her to return.
Maricarmen Abascal was removed from her apartment on a stretcher last week after living there for decades. Her case has drawn widespread attention to Spain’s housing affordability crisis and prompted demonstrations in Madrid.
Government Proposes New Housing Measures
Health Minister Mónica García said the governing Socialists had reached an agreement with their coalition partner, Sumar, on a package of housing measures.
The proposals include extending rental contracts until 2028 and restricting the activities of investment companies accused of purchasing homes for speculative purposes. The government is also seeking measures that would prevent certain evictions through 2030.
However, the proposals still face challenges in parliament because the coalition government does not have a majority on its own.
Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez said the government wants to broaden the definition of so-called “vulture funds” to include companies and investment entities that acquire residential properties primarily for speculation.
She cited Urbagestión, the company associated with Abascal’s apartment, as an example of a business that could potentially be covered by the expanded definition.
Political Support Remains Uncertain
The proposed measures are expected to be divided into two separate decrees for parliamentary consideration.
Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party whose support could be important for the legislation, said it had not yet reached an agreement with the government. The party has called for stronger protections for small property owners, arguing that individual landlords should not be treated in the same way as large investment funds.
Spain’s tenants’ groups have also criticized the government’s approach and said protests would continue until broader demands, including stronger rent protections, are addressed.
Hundreds of demonstrators remained camped in one of Madrid’s major squares on Tuesday, calling for reforms including limits on rent increases and stronger protections against evictions.
Abascal Offered Chance to Return Home
Meanwhile, Abascal’s lawyer said Urbagestión had made a preliminary offer that would allow the elderly woman to return to her apartment.
Under the proposed arrangement, Abascal would pay about 30% of her pension toward housing costs for the next eight years, reportedly amounting to approximately €500 per month.
The arrangement would place her monthly payment at a level similar to what she was paying before her eviction.
Abascal’s removal from her home became a focal point for activists protesting Spain’s housing difficulties. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the elderly woman should not have been forced out and expressed hope that the case would contribute to broader action on the country’s housing problems.
The proposed agreement and the government’s planned housing legislation now face further political and legal steps before any permanent changes take effect.
