Full Breakdown
Madrid Housing Crisis Escalates After Eviction of 87-Year-Old Tenant
By Drooid · · How we work
Trigger Event: Eviction of Maricarmen Abascal
On September 23, police removed 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment she had occupied for more than seven decades. The eviction followed a rent increase from roughly €500 per month—kept low by a historic rent cap since 1956—to €2,650 after the property was bought by the investment fund Urbagestión in 2018, a rise of about 275 %. Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, later announced a preliminary agreement limiting the rent to 30 % of her income, roughly €500 per month.
Nationwide Protests and Encampment
The eviction sparked mass demonstrations across Spain. On September 28, protesters entered their third day of camping in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, the city’s symbolic square. Hundreds of tents were erected, with estimates ranging from about 100 to 150 tents, and some reports noting roughly 500 people staying overnight. Similar encampments appeared in Seville, Málaga, Santiago de Compostela and Palma de Mallorca.
Data & Statistics
- Rents have doubled over the past decade, outpacing salary growth.
- The Bank of Spain estimates a shortfall of 750,000 homes nationwide; annual construction averages 120,000 units, about one-sixth of pre-2008 levels.
- The investment fund’s rent hike raised Abascal’s payment by €2,150 per month, far above the €500 she had paid under the long-standing cap.
- Attendance figures for the Saturday march vary: the government put the crowd at ?25,000, while organizers claim up to 300,000 participants.
Official Statements & Responses
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government was preparing a housing decree to be presented at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, aiming to provide “immediate relief for tenants.”
- Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid region, blamed Sánchez’s administration for failing to prevent the eviction and for not addressing the broader housing shortage.
- Pope Leo XIV commented that political leaders must find systemic solutions to the housing crisis, noting his limited familiarity with the specific case.
Criticism & Opposition
- Ayuso accused the central socialist government of neglect, arguing that regional authorities have been left to manage the fallout.
- Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida labeled the national government’s inaction as “absolute negligence,” citing public-health and safety concerns arising from the prolonged occupation of public space.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Attendance: Government estimates (?25,000) contrast sharply with organizers’ claim of 300,000.
- Tent counts: Reuters reported “hundreds of tents,” El País cited about 150, while News agency EFE noted roughly 100. No definitive count has been confirmed.
- Legislative outcome: The “Maricarmen decree” is slated for discussion at the upcoming cabinet meeting, but parliamentary approval remains uncertain because Sánchez’s coalition lacks a majority.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If we don't introduce open-ended tenancies in this country, the vultures will rule and this progressive government will no longer make any sense,” — Del Río, spokesperson for the Madrid tenants' union
What’s Next
The cabinet meeting on Tuesday will consider the emergency “Maricarmen decree,” which proposes automatic renewal of rental contracts, stricter eviction limits and rent-freeze measures in stressed markets. The decree’s passage in parliament is not guaranteed, and activists have warned they will maintain the encampment and expand actions to other cities until substantive reforms are enacted.