An 87-year-old Madrid pensioner at the centre of growing protests over Spain’s housing crisis is set to return to her home after reaching an agreement with the company that owns the property.
Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than seven decades, triggering protests over housing affordability, tenant protections and the treatment of vulnerable renters.
Her representatives reached an agreement with the property’s owner, Urbagestión, following negotiations involving her lawyer, family members and Madrid’s municipal housing company.
Under the agreement, Abascal will be able to return to the apartment under a new lease. Her lawyer said the rent would be similar to what she had previously paid, while Spanish reporting put the new monthly cost at around €500 including expenses.
The agreement still requires Abascal’s approval and signature.
Eight-year lease agreed after eviction
The proposed new tenancy is expected to last eight years, according to reporting on the agreement.
The development is unusual because the agreement was reached after the eviction had already been carried out.
Abascal was removed from the property on September 23 after a lengthy dispute over her tenancy. She had lived in the apartment in Madrid’s Retiro district since 1956.
Her eviction became a national housing story after images of her being taken from the property on a stretcher were widely circulated.
The case prompted demonstrations in Madrid and renewed calls from housing campaigners for stronger protections for tenants facing eviction.
Protests continue in Madrid
The agreement came as demonstrations continued in the Spanish capital.
Hundreds of people had been camping at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, while tens of thousands took part in demonstrations calling for action on housing costs and tenant protection.
The protests have broadened beyond Abascal’s individual case to concerns about rising rents, limited housing supply and the ability of tenants to remain in their homes.
Reuters reported that rents in Spain have approximately doubled over the past decade, while the country continues to face a significant shortage of housing.
Spain’s central bank has estimated a housing deficit of around 750,000 homes, with the shortfall potentially exceeding one million by 2028 if current trends continue.
Sánchez government prepares housing measures
The dispute has also increased pressure on Spain’s national government.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government was working on housing measures that were due to be considered by the cabinet.
The Spanish prime minister has called for parliamentary support for measures intended to provide additional relief and protection for vulnerable tenants.
The governing Socialist Party said on September 27 that the government was working to bring a housing royal decree before the cabinet on Tuesday.
The government’s position is part of a wider political dispute over how Spain should respond to its housing shortage and rising costs.
The national government has supported stronger tenant protections, while the conservative-led Madrid regional administration has taken a different approach to housing policy.
Those differences have become more visible following Abascal’s eviction.
A wider housing problem
Abascal’s case has become a focal point for a much broader housing problem in Spain.
Large cities including Madrid and Barcelona have experienced substantial increases in housing costs, while the supply of homes has failed to keep pace with demand.
The result has put pressure on renters, particularly households with limited incomes and people who have lived in the same homes for many years.
The Madrid case has also raised questions about what protections should apply when rental properties change ownership and landlords seek to alter existing tenancy arrangements.
However, the circumstances of an individual tenancy cannot by themselves establish how Spanish eviction law operates generally. The legal position depends on the tenancy, court proceedings and the applicable Spanish rules.
Why the case matters beyond Madrid
The events in Madrid highlight an issue facing housing markets across Europe: how governments balance property ownership rights with the need to protect tenants and maintain access to affordable housing.
Different European countries have taken different approaches to rent regulation, social housing, tenant protection and housing supply.
M10news has examined some of these approaches in its report on Europe’s affordable housing models, including public housing, cooperative housing and cost-rental models.
The European Commission has also been developing proposals aimed at addressing housing affordability and housing stress across the EU, as examined in M10news’s EU Affordable Housing Act coverage.
Spain’s experience shows how these questions can become particularly acute when rising housing costs collide with long-standing tenancies.
What happens next for Maricarwmen?
For Abascal, the immediate issue is whether the new agreement is completed and she can return to her apartment.
Her representatives have said she intends to sign the new agreement once she is well enough.
The agreement could bring an end to the immediate dispute over her home, but the wider political debate it triggered is continuing.
Protesters have demanded stronger action on housing costs and tenant protections, while the Spanish government faces the challenge of securing parliamentary support for its proposed measures.
The case has therefore moved from a dispute over one Madrid tenancy into a wider national debate about rents, evictions, housing supply and the rights of tenants and property owners.
For Spain’s housing market, the larger question remains how to increase the supply of homes while keeping housing accessible to people facing rising rents and limited alternatives.
Sources: Reuters; EL PAÍS; Spanish Socialist Party.
