87‑year‑old evicted from Madrid flat sparks protests and calls for new eviction law
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was evicted from her Madrid flat after a real‑estate firm raised her rent by 275 percent, and was taken to Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón where doctors kept her for observation due to severe exhaustion. Tenant activists responded by setting up a tent camp in Puerta del Sol and organising protests demanding stronger tenant protections. Abascal recorded a video message to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urging the cabinet to fast‑track a decree law she calls the “Maricarmen decree” to end the eviction system that affected her.
The Madrid City Council rejected the owner’s request to place the dwelling in the Reviva programme and instead offered mediation through the municipal housing company. The case has become a focal point for a broader debate over Spain’s housing crisis and eviction policies.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 15h later
Why it matters
The episode highlights how rising rents and weak tenant safeguards can force vulnerable residents out of long‑term homes, prompting public pressure for legislative change.
How this story developed
- Sep 22 Hundreds rally to stop eviction of 87-year-old tenant in Madrid
- Sep 23 The fourth eviction attempt was carried out by police on Wednesday morning.
- Sep 25 Maricarmen was hospitalized and declined the mayor’s emergency shelter offer, opting to remain with family in Segovia.
- Sep 27 Hundreds of activists erected a tent camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol following the eviction.
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