Madrid Eviction Exposes Spain’s Housing Crisis

The eviction of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman who had lived in the same Madrid flat for 70 years, has become a focal point for Spain’s housing crisis. Her father first rented the property in 1956, and Maricarmen continued as its tenant after her parents died while her rent was capped. After investment firm Urbagestión bought the flat in 2018, it raised her rent from €500 to €2,650, later reducing it to €1,650. Even at the lower amount, the rent exceeded her monthly pension of €1,350. Courts had blocked three earlier attempts to evict her, and the case attracted growing public attention. Supporters, including several hundred protesters and public figures, gathered outside the building to oppose the eviction. Police cordoned off the street and removed protesters and journalists from the entrance; some protesters were struck with batons. Maricarmen’s lawyer described the police presence as disproportionate, while a tenants’ organisation urged officers to consider that Maricarmen could be their own grandmother. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had called for the eviction to be halted and for affordable alternative housing to be offered. Local authorities said Maricarmen had declined a place in an elderly care home, while the central government said Urbagestión had rejected repeated attempts to negotiate. A last-minute offer from an anonymous donor to pay most of Maricarmen’s rent reportedly did not prevent the eviction because the company rejected it. Housing Minister Teresa Rodríguez blamed the case on speculation and inadequate market controls. The article places the eviction in a wider context of sharply rising rents and a shortage of available homes: Madrid rents had risen by more than 100% in a decade, according to Idealista. The government says it wants to protect people most exposed to speculation, while critics argue it should build more homes and warn that its rhetoric may discourage landlords from renting out their properties.

The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her long-time home in Madrid sparked protests on Wednesday and drew attention to the pressures facing tenants in Spain’s major cities. Abascal had lived in the apartment on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda Street for at least 70 years. As she was removed, she told reporters, “I have lived here for 71 years and I don't want to leave.” Dozens of protesters gathered behind a police cordon, chanting in support of her and condemning the eviction. Given only 30 minutes to collect her belongings, Abascal was escorted by riot police, carried from her home on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The case followed an eight-year legal dispute. According to El País, Abascal rented the apartment from a private landlord until 2018, when a real estate company acquired the property and assumed its management. The eviction was reportedly the fourth attempt to remove her. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the company had rejected proposals from Abascal’s legal team and requests to delay the eviction. The company had made no public comment. Alicia del Rio, spokesperson for tenants’ association Inquilinas de Madrid, said a writer had offered to pay Abascal’s rent, but the company rejected that offer as well. The article places the eviction amid rising rents, gentrification and a shortage of affordable housing, which have fueled public discontent. Spain remains divided over possible responses: the left-wing coalition government supports stronger tenant protections and wider rent controls, but says parliamentary divisions make legislation difficult. Madrid’s conservative regional government favors a more market-oriented approach. The story also notes that regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso is embroiled in a controversy over the purchase of luxury properties valued at €6.3 million.

Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home on September 23, despite protests by hundreds of housing activists and criticism from Spain’s government. Abascal had lived in the apartment for more than 70 years. After being given 30 minutes to leave with only essential belongings, she was taken from the building on a stretcher and driven away in an ambulance, accompanied by social services officials. Supporters chanted in her defence, while police forcibly removed demonstrators who had blocked the entrance. The apartment, in Madrid’s affluent Retiro neighbourhood, had been acquired by investment fund Urbagestion, which sought a steep rent increase. Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said court officials and the fund’s representatives refused to suspend the eviction, despite a pending court filing, humanitarian appeals and efforts by public authorities to find alternative accommodation. Duro also said an anonymous person had offered to cover the rent, but the landlord declined to sign a new lease. Urbagestion did not immediately comment. Before the eviction, Abascal said she did not want to leave the home where she had lived for 71 years. The case has become a flashpoint in Spain’s housing crisis, where rising rents, gentrification and a shortage of affordable homes are intensifying social and political tensions. The left-wing coalition government supports stronger tenant protections and broader rent controls but has struggled to win parliamentary backing. Madrid’s conservative-led regional government favours a more market-oriented approach. The dispute also unfolded amid controversy over regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s government purchasing a €6.3 million luxury penthouse through a public real estate agency. Opposition figures accuse Ayuso of intending to use it as her personal residence while bypassing public spending and transparency rules; she denies the allegations. Activists invoked the controversy during the eviction, chanting, “Ayuso’s penthouse for Maricarmen!”