Sánchez pushes housing decree to win Junts' support after elderly eviction case

Pedro Sánchez has seized the high-profile eviction of an 87-year-old resident of a Retiro apartment as a catalyst to reopen talks with Carles Puigdemont's Junts party. The administration aims to pass a real decree-law on housing that would prolong rent extensions, create a shield against evictions of vulnerable households, and restrict investment-fund acquisitions of residential property. Junts' support hinges on the inclusion of tax incentives for landlords, deductions for tenants and benefits for small owners with mortgages.

While the measure could also feature fiscal relief for both owners and renters, Podemos opposes key elements, threatening a tie-vote unless its deputies abstain. The decree is slated for cabinet approval on Tuesday, after which it would be published in the BOE and given a month for parliamentary validation.