Elderly Spanish tenant forced into car highlights widening housing crisis

Pilar Lopez, 65, who suffers from a serious spinal injury, was forced out of her Palma de Mallorca apartment after an investment fund purchased the building and offered her cash to vacate, a proposal she rejected. With no legal recourse, she spent two months sleeping in her car before obtaining temporary lodging in a hostel. Her ordeal mirrors the recent eviction of 87-year-old pensioner Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, which triggered large demonstrations and a promise from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to seek solutions after a cabinet meeting.

Spain’s housing crisis is deepening, with a projected shortfall of roughly 750,000 homes rising to over a million by 2028, while average rents equal about 98.7% of the median monthly wage. The pandemic-era law protecting vulnerable tenants expired in March, prompting tenant unions to call for automatic lease renewals, compensation for unjust evictions, regulation of room-by-room rentals and a rent freeze. Sánchez must navigate divergent positions within his coalition, as left-wing parties push for rent caps and right-leaning groups resist measures that could curb supply. Investment funds own only about 8% of the Spanish property market, yet their actions are fueling public anger.