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The eviction of an 87-year-old woman from the Madrid home where she had lived for seven decades has renewed attention on Spain’s housing crisis, according to the BBC.
Maricarmen, a tenant in the central Retiro district, could no longer afford the rent charged by Urbagestión, the investment firm that owns the property. Her father first rented the flat in 1956, and she remained there after her parents died.
The monthly rent had been capped at €500. After Urbagestión bought the property in 2018, it increased the rent to €2,650, citing a legal loophole. The company later reduced the amount to €1,650, but Maricarmen’s monthly pension of €1,350 was still insufficient.
Protesters gather to oppose eviction
Three previous attempts to remove her were blocked by the courts. The case attracted growing public attention, with supporters camping outside the building overnight and several hundred people gathering by Wednesday morning.
Among those supporting Maricarmen were actor Javier Bardem’s brother, Carlos, and singer Ana Belén, who read Rafael Alberti’s poem “Desahucio” — “Eviction”. Protesters chanted “Maricarmen stays”, while some activists blocked the stairs inside the building.
In a video posted on social media, a tearful Maricarmen thanked supporters who had joined her against what she called “this cruel struggle by someone who wants to earn money”.
Police cordoned off part of the street and removed people from the building’s entrance, including members of the media. Some protesters were struck with batons, according to reports.
Beatriz Duro, Maricarmen’s lawyer, described the police presence as disproportionate. “There is a police deployment as if this were a military operation,” she said, noting that it was the fourth eviction attempt but the first to reach the property’s door.
Calls for affordable alternative housing
In June, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called for the eviction to be suspended and for Maricarmen to be offered affordable alternative accommodation. Local authorities said she had rejected an offer of a place in an elderly care home.
The Spanish central government said Urbagestión had refused repeated attempts to negotiate a solution. The company did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
A possible last-minute reprieve emerged when an anonymous donor offered to cover most of Maricarmen’s rent. However, Urbagestión reportedly rejected the offer and the eviction went ahead.
Housing Minister Teresa Rodríguez called the event “a very sad day” and said it demonstrated the effects of unchecked speculation and a lack of market regulation.
Rents continue to rise across Spain
A shortage of available homes has been blamed for rising rental costs, leaving millions of people struggling to find affordable accommodation. In Madrid, rents have increased by more than 100% over the past decade, according to property website Idealista, including a 10% rise over the last year.
The Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly criticised investment companies accused of contributing to higher housing costs. In January, Sánchez said his government aimed to protect people most exposed to “speculation and greed”.
Critics, however, say the government should do more to build homes, while others argue that its policies and rhetoric discourage property owners from placing homes on the rental market.
