Spain announces ban on evictions after protests over 87-year-old woman's removal from flat

Key Points:

• Spain's coalition government approved new housing measures including a ban on evictions until 2030, aiming to provide relief to over five million people amid protests sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid.
• The measures also include rolling over rental contracts until 2028, stricter regulation of short-term rentals, and banning investment firms from purchasing housing, targeting speculative market practices.
• The decrees take immediate effect but require parliamentary approval within 30 days; however, the government lacks a majority and faces opposition from right-leaning parties and small landlords concerned about the impact.
• Housing activists and tenant unions have welcomed the measures but warn that the fight for housing rights continues, calling for further protests to ensure the decrees are fully implemented.
• The case of Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction triggered nationwide protests, has become a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis, highlighting issues of rising rents and the influence of investment firms on the housing market.