Spain Proposes Anti-Eviction Decree Amid Housing Crisis Protests

Spain’s left-wing coalition government has announced a series of measures to halt evictions until 2030, aiming to resolve the nation’s deepening housing crisis. The announcement follows widespread outrage after the forced removal of an 87-year-old woman last week triggered mass demonstrations across the country.

The proposed legislation, which includes provisions for rolling over rental contracts and prohibiting so-called vulture funds from the housing market, will be presented as two separate decrees for a parliamentary vote on Friday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority government faces significant challenges in securing the necessary support.

Health Minister Monica Garcia declared the approval of the decrees non-negotiable, noting that a previous attempt to extend rental contracts was blocked by right-leaning parties in April. “Right-wing parties have to choose: either they’re with the citizens, or they’re with the foreign vulture funds,” Garcia stated on social media platform X. “Let them prove their patriotism beyond bracelets and flags.”

The catalyst for the current turmoil was the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, a wheelchair user who had lived in her Madrid home for more than seven decades. Abascal was removed from the property on a stretcher on September 23 during a fourth eviction attempt by authorities. Videos of her struggle circulated widely on social media, transforming her into a symbol of the crisis.

Abascal’s lease, originally signed by her father in the 1950s, was purchased by real estate firm Urbagestion in 2018. The company sought to terminate her contract after raising her monthly rent from 500 euros to 2,650 euros, a figure nearly double her pension of 1,350 euros. According to her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, Urbagestion has since offered a preliminary agreement allowing Abascal to return home, paying 30 percent of her pension—approximately 500 euros monthly—over eight years.

The incident sparked spontaneous protests, including demonstrations in front of a luxury penthouse recently acquired by Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the conservative regional leader of Madrid. Protesters chanted slogans demanding housing for Abascal and criticizing Ayuso. The #Niundesahuciomas platform organized simultaneous rallies in cities including Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia.

Pedro Sanchez addressed the issue at the United Nations General Assembly, describing evictions as a “social tragedy” and blaming local and regional governments led by the People’s Party (PP). Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez Garcia echoed this sentiment, citing “savage speculation” and favorable treatment for investors.

Data from the Bank of Spain highlights the concentration of wealth in the sector, with real estate assets exceeding €7.4 trillion. The richest 10 percent of households own roughly one-third of this wealth, while the bottom half holds only 15 percent. The number of owners with multiple properties has risen, while small landlords have declined.

However, the proposed reforms have drawn criticism for potentially grouping small landlords with large institutional investors. Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party whose support is crucial for passage, argued that the measures leave small property owners unprotected. Parliamentary spokesperson Miriam Nogueras emphasized the injustice of treating individual savers who invested in a single flat alongside large funds managing millions.

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative PP, stated his party would not support the legislation, arguing that eight years of housing policy failures cannot be resolved by an “11th-hour decree.” He advocated for increasing supply and offering tax incentives rather than government regulation.

Statistics from the National Statistics Institute (INE) indicate that national housing prices have more than doubled since 2014. In 2024, 28.1 percent of renters at market rates spent over 40 percent of their disposable income on housing, significantly higher than the EU average of 19.2 percent.

Marta Soler Gallart, head of the Sociology Department at the University of Barcelona, cautioned that the decrees fail to address long-term structural issues. She noted that unlike the Vienna model, which maintains low rents through sustained public social housing, Spanish public funds often result in properties being sold at market price after a period. She added that while the new rules extend tenancy agreements, landlords can still reclaim properties if they prove personal need.