The Spain housing crisis has taken another dramatic turn after an 87-year-old disabled woman who was forcibly evicted from her Madrid home was offered a deal that could allow her to return. Maricarmen Abascal was removed from her apartment on a stretcher on 23 September and later admitted to hospital.
Abascal had lived in the property for more than 70 years, making her case a powerful symbol of the pressure facing tenants as rents rise across Spain. Her eviction triggered widespread anger, nationwide protests and renewed demands for stronger protections for vulnerable people.
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Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said an agreement had been reached after several hours of talks with Urbagestión, the investment company that owns the apartment. Under the proposed deal, Abascal would be able to return under a new rental contract at a similar price to what she had previously paid.
Duro said there had been “goodwill from both parties” during the negotiations. However, the agreement still needs to be approved by Abascal because she was unable to participate in the meeting while receiving treatment for exhaustion.
The lawyer said Abascal would sign the agreement once she felt well enough. Duro described the arrangement as the “result of the social mobilisation” that followed the eviction.
As news of the proposed agreement spread, up to 1,000 protesters gathered at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol to welcome the development. Hundreds of tents have been erected at the location as part of demonstrations over housing costs and tenant protections.
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The proposed return follows a long-running dispute over Abascal’s rent. Her father originally rented the apartment in 1956, and Abascal continued living there after her parents died under a system that had placed a cap on the rent.
Urbagestión acquired the property in 2018 and later raised the monthly rent from €500 (£428; $572) to €2,650 (£2,280; $3,020). The company subsequently offered to reduce the amount to €1,650, but Abascal’s monthly pension of €1,350 was still not enough to cover the rent.
Courts had previously blocked three attempts to evict her. The eventual removal on 23 September prompted tens of thousands of people to march through Madrid on Saturday, calling for stronger tenant protections and more affordable housing.
Supporters have described the agreement as a victory, but the Tenants’ Union in Madrid says the campaign must continue. The group is calling for deeper reforms to ensure other vulnerable tenants do not face similar situations.
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The Spain housing crisis extends beyond Abascal’s case, with the Bank of Spain estimating that the country is short of 700,000 homes. Its estimate is based on the difference between housing demand and the number of new homes being built.
The political pressure has increased as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party seeks support from political allies for a new housing decree. The party does not have a majority in Parliament, making negotiations necessary to secure backing for government measures.
Left-wing ministers have called for permanent protections for tenants, while negotiations continued through the night. The Catalan left-wing party ERC has reportedly sought a halt to evictions involving vulnerable people and higher taxes on tourist accommodation.
Sánchez said his government would respond to what he called the “housing emergency suffered by so many people”. Speaking on Monday evening, he also linked the issue to national responsibility.
“Patriotism also means preventing an 87-year-old woman from ending up on the street after a lifetime in her home,” Sánchez said.
The proposed agreement could allow Abascal to return to the Madrid apartment where she spent most of her life, but campaigners say her case has exposed wider problems in Spain’s housing market. They are continuing to demand measures aimed at preventing further evictions and increasing access to affordable homes.
