Thousands protest in Madrid over housing crisis

Thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday night to protest Spain's housing crisis. Demonstrators demanded stronger protection for tenants, rules against rental fraud and a ban on evictions when those affected are not provided with alternative housing.

The protest was sparked by the case of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal, who was forcibly evicted from a Madrid apartment she had lived in for about 70 years. After the march, demonstrators set up tents in the city center's Puerta del Sol square.

According to authorities, about 25,000 people took part in the demonstration. However, organizers said the number had reached around 300,000. During the march, participants chanted for curbs on housing costs and for it to be harder to evict people who live in rented accommodation.

“We can't take it anymore. Either the rental system will collapse or the government will fall,“ some protesters said.

The rent has increased fivefold

Abascal's father first rented the apartment in 1956. After her parents died, she continued to live there as a tenant. During that time, a rent cap was in effect.

The building changed hands in 2018. Abascal was offered the opportunity to buy the apartment, but according to the Madrid Tenants' Union, she could not afford it. Later, the investment fund “Urbagestion“ bought the property and increased the monthly rent from 500 to 2,650 euros. Then the amount was reduced to 1,650 euros, but the pensioner was again unable to pay it.

The case turned Abascal into a symbol of the housing crisis in Spain. In a video message recorded from her hospital bed, she called on Spaniards to join the protests.

“I was unable to defend my home, but I fought so that others could learn to fight for what is theirs,“ said Abascal.

Shortage reaches 550,000 homes

The Spanish central bank estimates that last year the country was short of about 550,000 homes. A significant part of the shortage is concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Analysts link the pressure on the market to tourism and population growth in large cities, including due to immigration.

Spain is among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development with the smallest share of public rental housing. They represent less than 2 percent of the housing supply, while the average level for the European Union is 8 percent.

Sources: BTA