87-Year-Old Evicted After 70 Years, Hospitalised Amid Housing Crisis

After more than seven decades in the same Retiro apartment, 87-year-old Maricarmen was evicted by Urbagestión and transferred by ambulance to Gregorio Marañón hospital, where she spent her first night away from home accompanied by her cousin Vicente. The shock triggered a severe stress-induced exhaustion syndrome, leading physicians to keep her admitted for further tests. Vicente rescued a handful of personal items, including hygiene products, medication, clothing and family photos, which now serve as her only link to the home she lost.

The Madrid Ayuntamiento’s offer of a temporary residence was declined because she did not want to be isolated from her remaining family. Lawyers and housing activists argue that the proposed move to a 58-square-metre flat in Segovia, already housing four people, is not a viable solution, especially as it would cut off her home-care services. Community members and cultural figures have pledged financial and material assistance, but the future of Maricarmen’s belongings and living situation remains uncertain.