Evictions fuel protests as Spain’s housing shortage deepens
Two evictions have drawn attention to Spain’s housing crisis, as rising rents, limited construction and growing demand put homes out of reach.
Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Pilar Lopez, 65, spent two months sleeping in her car after being evicted this summer from the apartment where she had lived for 12 years. Her case comes amid protests over evictions and a widening housing shortage in Spain.
Evictions prompt protests
Lopez, who has a serious chronic condition resulting from a spinal injury, said an investment fund bought her apartment from the bank with which she had a rental contract. She said the fund unexpectedly offered her money to leave. She refused but was unable to prevent the eviction.
Lopez now lives in temporary accommodation at a hostel. Outside her former apartment, she said it had been refurbished and that she believed it had been turned into a holiday rental.
Anger over evictions intensified after 87-year-old pensioner Maricarmen Abascal was removed on a stretcher last week from the Madrid home where she had lived for more than seven decades. Her lawyer said late on Monday that she would be able to return after reaching an agreement with her landlord.
Abascal’s eviction prompted large demonstrations across Spain. Protesters pitched tents in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square, outside the regional government headquarters. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged to provide a solution after his cabinet meets on Tuesday.
Housing supply falls short
Spain is among European countries facing an acute housing crisis. Property prices have soared, while rents have risen faster than real wages as home construction has failed to meet demand.
Spain has struggled to return to its pace of homebuilding before the 2008 financial crisis. Its shortage of about 750,000 homes is expected to exceed one million by 2028, according to the Bank of Spain, almost double Italy’s deficit.
As fewer people can afford to buy a home, more are renting. A surge in tourism has added pressure to the market. The average monthly rent of €1,176 ($1,337) is equivalent to about 98.7% of the average monthly salary in Spain, according to the Youth Council of Spain.
Housing affordability is also an issue elsewhere in Europe. The far-left Left Party won Berlin’s state election this month after pledging to make housing affordable and nationalise private housing associations.
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