MADRID — Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid on Saturday to protest Spain's housing crisis. The demonstration was organized by the Madrid Tenants' Union in reaction to the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, from her Madrid apartment on Wednesday.

Abascal had lived in the apartment in the Retiro neighborhood for more than 70 years. Her father first rented the property in 1956, and she continued as the tenant after her parents died during a period when rent caps were in place. The building changed ownership in 2018 when Urbagestión, an investment fund, bought the unit.

The eviction process involved resistance and police intervention. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building overnight to try to prevent the removal. During the eviction on Wednesday, police fired teargas and baton-charged protesters.

Abascal was removed from her home on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. She uses a wheelchair and has a disability rating.

The financial circumstances surrounding the eviction drew attention from officials and donors. Abascal receives a state pension of €1,350 per month. Urbagestión raised her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650 before subsequently lowering it to €1,650.

She was offered the opportunity to buy the apartment for €247,000 but could not afford it. An anonymous donor offered to pay the difference in her rent, but the offer was rejected by Urbagestión. The central government said the fund refused repeated attempts to negotiate Abascal's situation. Courts had blocked three previous attempts to evict her.

At the end of the Saturday march, protesters sat down in the Puerta del Sol plaza. Some protesters pitched tents to stay at least the night. Actor Carlos Bardem and singer Ana Belén joined the protest, along with activists from the Madrid and Barcelona tenants' unions. Protesters demanded protective measures for tenants, anti-fraud rules, and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.

Protester Dora Garcia said housing is a problem that already affects all of society, all ages and classes, and that housing is a right that people do not have.

Abascal said in a video shared on Friday by the tenants' union that she had not managed to defend her home but had fought so that others can learn to fight for what is theirs. Housing Minister Teresa Rodríguez said it was a very sad and dramatic day, when it is plain to see the effects of unbridled speculation, of not wanting to control the market, and of putting out the red carpet for the vultures and the speculators.

Why It Matters

The eviction occurred against a backdrop of rising housing costs and limited public support. According to the Bank of Spain, the average monthly rent in Madrid rose from €1,200 in 2018 to €1,800, outpacing wage growth. The Bank of Spain estimated that the country had a shortage of about 550,000 homes last year.

Spain ranks near the bottom of OECD countries for public rental housing, which represents less than 2% of its available supply, compared to the European Union average of 8%. A report by the European Commission noted that Spain had one of the highest rates of 'vulture fund' ownership of residential properties in the EU, with homes owned by such entities.

In response to the eviction, the Spanish government announced plans to introduce a new housing law in October, known as the 'Maricarmen Decree.' The proposed legislation would include automatic contract renewals and stricter eviction controls for vulnerable tenants. So far this year, 4,000 evictions have been carried out in Spain. Tenants unions and other housing groups held protests and rallies in 16 cities on Thursday.

Timeline

Abascal's father first rented the property in 1956. The building changed ownership in 2018.

In June, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called for Abascal's eviction to be halted. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building overnight to try to prevent the eviction. The protest was held in reaction to the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, from her Madrid apartment on Wednesday.

What's New

Additional reporting provides further context on the scale of the housing issue and the specific details of Abascal's case. The Madrid Tenants' Union has documented over 1,200 cases of rent increases exceeding 200% in the Retiro district between 2018 and 2026, indicating a systemic issue in the area where Abascal lived. According to the Bank of Spain, the average monthly rent in Madrid rose from €1,200 in 2018 to €1,800, outpacing wage growth and contributing to the housing crisis.

An anonymous donor offered to pay the difference in Abascal's rent, but the offer was rejected by Urbagestión. The central government said Urbagestión refused repeated attempts to negotiate Abascal's situation. Abascal has a disability rating.