Eviction of 87-year-old sparks encampment protest in Madrid over housing crisis, tell me about this news in (https://www.wral.com/news/ap/afee1-eviction-of-87-year-old-sparks-encampment-protest-in-madrid-over-housing-crisis/)

The report details how the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid triggered massive street demonstrations and an ongoing encampment protest in the city center over Spain’s escalating housing crisis.

The Incident

The protests were sparked by the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal (known locally as Maricarmen) from an apartment in Madrid’s upscale Retiro neighborhood, where she had lived for more than seven decades since her father originally rented it in 1956.

After the building changed ownership in 2018 and was acquired by an investment fund (Urbagestión), her monthly rent was drastically raised from 500 euros to 2,650 euros, and later reduced to 1,650 euros. Given her fixed pension, she was unable to afford the increase. While courts previously halted three eviction attempts, the eviction was carried out on Wednesday, resulting in her being removed from her home on a stretcher and taken away by ambulance, turning her case into a widespread symbol of the housing struggles facing residents.

The Protests and Encampment

Following the eviction, tens of thousands of demonstrators, organized largely by the Madrid Tenants’ Union, marched through the Spanish capital.

At the end of the demonstration, protesters refused to disperse and set up tents overnight in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol plaza. The encampment continued into a second day, with demonstrators pledging to remain until authorities pass stronger protections.

Demonstrators’ Demands and Broader Context

Protesters and housing activists are demanding:

• Stricter legal protections for tenants, including indefinite rental contracts.

• Anti-fraud regulations targeting speculative real estate funds.

• An outright ban on evictions whenever suitable alternative housing is unavailable.

The unrest highlights a broader affordability crisis across major Spanish cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Despite broader economic growth, local wages have not kept pace with rising rents driven by tourism, short-term holiday rentals, and an estimated shortage of hundreds of thousands of homes. Additionally, Spain’s public social housing stock accounts for less than 2% of total dwellingswell below the European Union average of around 8%.