Thousands march in Madrid to protest eviction of 87-year-old woman
Summary
Thousands of people marched in Madrid to protest the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen Abascal, from her home after her rent was raised sharply. The protests highlight Spain’s housing crisis and pressure Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government to approve new laws to protect tenants and reduce evictions.Key Facts
- Maricarmen Abascal was evicted after a real estate firm increased her rent by 275 percent to 2,650 euros ($3,000).
- She had lived in her apartment for 70 years before being forced out and was taken from her home on a stretcher.
- Around 25,000 to 300,000 people joined protests in Madrid calling for stronger tenant protections.
- The government plans to introduce the "Maricarmen decree" to automatically renew rental contracts and make evictions harder.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government does not have a majority in parliament, so the new measures may face challenges to become law.
- Spain has a housing shortage estimated at 550,000 homes, particularly in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.
- Public rental housing is less than 2 percent in Spain, much lower than the European Union average of 8 percent.
- Rising housing costs are connected to short-term rentals like Airbnb and investment funds reducing long-term home availability.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
