Demonstrators in Madrid's Puerta del Sol have begun a multi-day occupation following the forced removal of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal. The protest, sparked by the elderly woman's eviction from her long-term Retiro residence, highlights growing national anger over the Spanish housing crisis.
From 500 to 2,650 euros: The rent hike that broke the Retiro tenant
The eviction of María del Carmen Abascal from her Retiro apartment was precipitated by a massive spike in monthly costs that her pension could not sustain. According to the Madrid Tenants' Union, the building changed ownership in 2018, at which point the investment fund Urbagestión took control. The fund subsequently raised Abascal's rent from 500 euros to a staggering 2,650 euros.
While the monthly cost was later lowered to 1,650 euros, the amount remained far beyond the reach of the 87-year-old, who had lived in the unit since her parents passed away. This dramatic price escalation is part of a broader trend where rising costs and housing shortages are pricing many Spaniards out of the market, despite the country's strong economic growth.
Pedro Sánchez promises a Royal Decree by next Tuesday
The emotional weight of the eviction was captured in footage of Abascal being carried from her home on a stretcher on September 23. this imagery, which spread widely across Spain, has transformed the elderly woman into a symbol of the national housing struggle.. In response to the mounting indignation, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the crisis during a Socialist Party rally in Madrid, calling on parliamentary groups to validate new housing laws in the National Parliament for Abascal's sake.
As the report states, the Socialist-led government is expected to announce new measures during its weekly cabinet meeting next Tuesday. Sánchez has pledged that the administration is working around the clock to bring a new Royal Decree on housing to the table to address these systemic failures.
A 550,000-home shortage and the ghost of the 2011 Indignados
The current unrest in Madrid's Puerta del Sol draws direct parallels to the historic 2011 Indignados movement. That movement saw citizens camping in public squares for 28 days to protest austerity and unemployment following the global economic crisis. Today, as political scientist Estefania Molina noted, the nature of the struggle has shifted from the inability to purchase property to the impossibility of renting even a single room.
This tension is exaccerbated by a massive supply gap that affects major urban centers. The Bank of Spain estimated that the country faced a shortage of approximately 550,000 homes last year, with Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia bearing a substantial share of the burden. Furthermore, Spain's public rental housing stock remains significantly lower than the European Union average, representing less than 2 percent of the country's total housing compared to the EU's 8 percent.
What will the Socialist government's Tuesday decree actually include?
While Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised legislative relief, the exact mechanics of the upcoming Royal Decree remain unverified. It is currently unclear if the Socialist-led government will adopt the specific demands of the Madrid Tenants' Union, such as the implementation of indefinite rental contracts or a total ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available.
Additionally, the source does not clarify how the government intends to regulate or curb the influence of "vluture funds" like Urbagestión. While critics and protesters are calling for stricter measures against investment companies accused of pricing residents out of their homes, the specific legal tools the government plans to use remain a critical unknown.
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