Spanish pensioner’s eviction becomes flashpoint in housing crisis
The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home has become a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis. After protests, her former landlord offered an eight-year contract with rent capped at 30% of her income, while the government’s proposed housing measures were rejected by Congress.
The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment has become a focal point for anger over Spain’s housing crisis. Abascal, who uses a wheelchair, had lived in the home for more than 70 years. Her father signed the original lease in 1956, and she had paid capped rent.
After investment firm Urbagestión acquired the apartment in 2018, her monthly rent rose from €500 to €1,650. Her benefits total €1,350 a month. The company initially sought to raise the rent to €2,650 before reducing the proposed amount.
A prolonged legal dispute followed, with three previous eviction attempts blocked by courts. In June, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called for the eviction to be halted and for affordable alternative accommodation to be offered. Madrid City Council later said Abascal had declined a place in an aged-care home.
After courts ruled in Urbagestión’s favour in late September, police removed Abascal from the property. Protesters had gathered outside, and some demonstrators were taken away. Supporters then established a tent camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, led largely by the city’s Tenant Union.
The case resonated amid broader housing pressures. The average rental price per square metre in Spain nearly doubled over the past decade to €15.10 in August, according to Idealista. The Bank of Spain estimates a shortage of 700,000 homes, while social housing accounts for less than 2% of the housing stock, compared with roughly 6–7% across the European Union, according to OECD data.
After five days of protest and more than four hours of meetings, Urbagestión offered Abascal an eight-year lease on September 28. The rent would be capped at 30% of her net income, similar to her previous payment. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez then proposed measures including restrictions on bulk property purchases by investment funds, an eviction ban for vulnerable tenants until 2030 and a tax on seasonal rentals.
Congress rejected the measures, increasing uncertainty over the government’s housing agenda.
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