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Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Tens of thousands protested in Madrid over the eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, demanding stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures, and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.
- Demonstrators camped overnight at Puerta del Sol plaza, vowing to stay until the government passes new housing laws, including indefinite rental contracts and eviction halts.
- Abascal, who had lived in her apartment for over 70 years, was forcibly evicted after rent increases by an investment fund made her pension insufficient to cover costs, sparking widespread outrage.
- Spain faces a severe housing shortage, with an estimated deficit of 550,000 homes, and rising costs driven by population growth and tourism, while public rental housing remains below 2% of the market.
- The protests echo the 2011 "indignados movement," reflecting growing frustration as many Spaniards now struggle even to afford rental housing, not just homeownership.
