Evicted Spanish pensioner can move back home, lawyer says
87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, evicted from her Madrid apartment of over 70 years, is set to return home after her lawyer reached a deal with the landlord.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal is set to return to her Madrid apartment.
- Her eviction on 23 Sept sparked large-scale protests across Spain.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's cabinet agreed on new housing relief measures.
- Spain faces a shortage of 700,000 homes according to the Bank of Spain.
Spain's housing crisis has ignited nationwide outrage following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old disabled woman who was forcibly removed on a stretcher from her Madrid apartment of more than 70 years on September 23. The incident, which left her hospitalized for exhaustion, triggered massive protests with tens of thousands marching through the Spanish capital to demand stronger tenant protections.
However, her lawyer Alicia Duro announced that Abascal will be able to return to her home after reaching an agreement with the investment company Urbagestión, which owns the apartment, following hours of negotiations on Monday. The deal still requires approval and signature from Abascal herself once she recovers, with Duro noting the agreement was the direct result of intense social mobilization.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Abascal's family tenancy began in 1956 when her father first rented the property under rent-control regulations. After Urbagestión bought the building in 2018, the monthly rent was hiked from 500 euros to 2,650 euros, and later reduced to 1,650 euros—an amount she still could not afford on her 1,350-euro monthly pension. Three previous eviction attempts had been successfully blocked by the courts.
The widespread backlash has forced Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's cabinet to take swift political action. Sánchez promised during a Monday evening speech that the government would tackle the housing emergency, stating that patriotism means preventing an 87-year-old woman from ending up on the street. Details of the new housing agreement are expected to be released on Tuesday, pending parliamentary approval.
The housing crisis in Spain highlights a deep structural imbalance between surging demographic demand and lagging new construction, exacerbated by soaring rental prices in major urban centers like Madrid and Barcelona. Because Sánchez's Socialist Party lacks a parliamentary majority, securing legislative backing for new housing decrees remains a critical political challenge as public pressure mounts for permanent tenant protections.
The severity of the crisis is further underscored by cases like 51-year-old Esmeralda Tejero, who faced eviction in Zaragoza with her 11-year-old daughter after struggling to pay her 320-euro monthly rent on an income of about 600 euros. While supporters celebrate Abascal's impending return as a victory, housing activists vow to continue pressing for constitutional rights to secure affordable housing for all citizens.
Source: BBC World
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