Overview
- A court-ordered eviction on Wednesday, Sept. 23 removed 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid flat on a stretcher and triggered mass protests and an encampment in Puerta del Sol.
- Abascal has a preliminary deal with the investment fund Urbagestión that would let her return once discharged and cap her rent at roughly 30 percent of her pension, about €500 per month.
- The government presented an emergency housing decree that proposes an eviction ban for vulnerable tenants through 2030, automatic lease renewals, limits on purchases by large investor funds and new taxes on seasonal rentals.
- The decree must be ratified in parliament within the statutory window and the minority Socialist-led coalition will need support from smaller parties for the measures to take effect.
- The protests reflect a deeper supply problem identified by the Bank of Spain, which estimates a national shortfall of about 700,000–750,000 homes and says investor practices are a symbolic focus of public anger.