Spain Agrees on Housing Reform and Eviction Ban After Pensioner’s Forced Removal

Spain’s coalition government announced on Tuesday that it has reached a consensus on new legislative measures to address the nation’s housing crisis, following widespread outrage over the recent forced eviction of an elderly pensioner in Madrid. The deal includes a comprehensive ban on evictions through 2030, stricter regulations for short-term rentals, and a two-year extension for existing lease agreements.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia, representing the leftist Sumar party within the junior coalition, described the legislation as a necessary intervention to rebalance power between citizens and speculative investment funds. “It’s time to intervene in the speculative housing market and begin to rebalance the scales between citizens and vulture funds,” Garcia posted on X.

The push for reform was catalyzed by the eviction of Maria del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, from her apartment in Madrid’s Retiro neighborhood. Images and videos of the 87-year-old wheelchair user being escorted out by riot police and placed into an ambulance circulated widely on social media, igniting nationwide solidarity protests. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Madrid, eventually setting up overnight camps in the historic Puerta del Sol square, with signs reading “It would shame me to evict a pensioner.”

Maricarmen’s tenancy dates back to 1956, when her father first rented the property. According to reports from Spanish newspaper El Pais, she continued living there after her parents passed away and rented from a private landlord until 2018, when a real estate company acquired the building and assumed management. A legal battle between the tenant and the company dragged on for eight years, marking this as the fourth attempt by the firm to evict her.

Following the public outcry, Maricarmen’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, announced on Monday that her client will be allowed to return home. Duro attributed the victory to “social mobilization” and expressed hope that the government’s new agreement would help change the broader paradigm regarding housing rights in Spain.

While Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his cabinet approved the measures, the legislation still faces a significant hurdle. Sanchez leads a minority government and must secure votes from various parliamentary parties, including his coalition partners Sumar and others, before the bill can become law. Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez is scheduled to hold a press conference to provide further details on the upcoming legislative process.