Madrid woman, 87, to return home after eviction sparks housing protests

Madrid, Spain. An 87-year-old woman whose eviction last week sparked protests across Spain will be able to return to her home after reaching an agreement with her landlord, her lawyer said on Monday. Protesters continued to demand stronger protections for tenants amid a housing shortage and rising rents.

Agreement after eviction

Police removed Maricarmen Abascal on a stretcher from her Madrid home of more than seven decades under an eviction order secured by the investment fund that bought her apartment.

Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, told a press briefing that Abascal would pay rent similar to her previous rate under a new eight-year contract. Abascal was hospitalised after the eviction and plans to sign the agreement when she feels better. Duro described an agreement reversing a completed eviction as unprecedented.

The landlord could not immediately be reached for comment.

Protests in Madrid

Protesters camped outside the Madrid regional government’s headquarters for a third day on Monday. Hundreds of tents filled the central Puerta del Sol square, recalling its month-long occupation in 2011 by activists protesting austerity measures adopted during the global financial crisis.

Last week, hundreds of people outside Abascal’s building clashed with police. The Socialist-led central government condemned the centre-right regional administration for not preventing the eviction. On Saturday, about 30,000 people marched through Madrid to protest the treatment of Abascal and others forced from their homes by investment funds.

Government response

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his cabinet would approve unspecified housing relief measures when it meets on Tuesday. He called on parties to support the measures in a later parliamentary vote, saying protection for vulnerable tenants “is not a matter of ideology but of humanity”.

Unlike during the financial crisis, when many evictions followed mortgage defaults after a property bubble burst, a growing share now involve rent disputes amid a shortage of properties. Average rents have doubled over the past decade, far outpacing salaries.