Mass Protests Prompt Landlord to Reinstate 87-Year-Old Woman’s Rent

An 87-year-old woman who was forcibly evicted from her apartment in Madrid is set to return home after widespread protests over Spain’s worsening housing crisis.

Maria del Carmen Abascal, popularly known as Maricarmen, became a symbol of the housing crisis after an international investment fund bought her apartment building and increased her rent by more than 200 percent, from its previous rate to about $1,880 per month.

Following protests organised by Madrid’s tenants’ union, the real estate company has now offered to restore her previous rent. Under the agreement, her monthly payment will be capped at approximately $570 for the next eight years, representing about 30 percent of her pension.

The tenants’ union organised protests and tent encampments at Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol, attracting tens of thousands of demonstrators before similar protests spread to dozens of other Spanish cities.

The union described the landlord’s decision as a “historic win.”

The controversy has also prompted action from the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, which has proposed a package of housing measures expected to face a parliamentary vote on Friday.

One of the key proposals would extend tenant protections until 2030, helping shield vulnerable residents such as Abascal from eviction.

However, protesters say the measures do not go far enough, while conservative parties are expected to oppose some of the proposals.

Spain’s central bank estimates that the country currently has a housing shortage of about 755,000 homes, with the deficit potentially reaching one million units by 2028.

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