Spain Approves Housing Decree as Protests Continue Over Eviction of 87-Year-Old

Spain's coalition government on Tuesday announced a package of emergency housing measures aimed at easing a crisis that has driven tens of thousands of people into the streets, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her Madrid apartment last week.

The protests, now in their fourth day, have centred on an encampment in Puerta del Sol, the capital's most recognisable square, where demonstrators have erected tents and hung banners demanding stronger tenant protections.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez, speaking at the presidential palace, said the decree extends eviction safeguards for vulnerable residents until 2030, regulates room rentals, introduces a new tax on seasonal lets, and prohibits speculative real estate purchases by vulture funds until 2028. The full text has not yet been published, leaving unclear how such funds will be classified and how large the tax will be.

The measures also offer tax relief to landlords who rent to low-income tenants, provide interest-free loans to first-time buyers, and protect and promote the construction of public housing, Rodríguez added.

The unrest was triggered by the removal of María del Carmen Abascal, known widely as Maricarmen, who was carried out on a stretcher from the flat where she had lived for seven decades. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said Abascal has accepted a deal with the company that owns the property in the upscale Retiro district to return home. She will do so once discharged from hospital, with her rent capped at 30% of her income — no more than the 500 euros ($570) a month she previously paid.

At the protest site, demonstrators voiced scepticism about the government's response. Guille Pelegrin, a 23-year-old social worker, said the measures were merely cosmetic. "We are not satisfied at all. In the end I think it's just to save face, to say they've done something, and then in reality, landlords are still being protected while the working class is left aside," he said.

Lidia Perez, a 25-year-old sociologist and member of the Socialist youth coordinator, described the decree as inadequate. "The decree is completely insufficient. That is to say, it relies on creating small patches, but it does not truly address the problem at a structural level, which is the issue of viewing housing as a business, as a market commodity," she said. "Housing is a basic necessity and therefore must be treated as such."

Rising costs and a shortage of homes have priced many Spaniards out of the market despite strong growth in Europe's fourth-largest economy. Protesters have demanded tougher tenant protections, action against fraud, and a ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available.

Parliament has 30 days to ratify the measures. The government has called an extraordinary plenary session on housing for Friday in an effort to speed up the process. The ruling coalition holds 152 of the chamber's 350 seats, meaning it will need backing from smaller parties across the political spectrum. A similar package failed in late July for lack of parliamentary support.