The story of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman with mobility problems who became a symbol of the housing crisis in Spain after being displaced from the property in which she had lived for 70 years, had a new turn this Tuesday, after her lawyer announced that she could return to her home.
After the evacuation, which occurred on September 23, the woman had to be admitted to a hospital.
For days, the Urbagestión company, the owner of the property where Maricarmen lived, was accused of not allowing any kind of negotiation so that it could stay there.
However, Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, declared in a press conference that there had been “goodwill by both sides” and that her client agreed to return to her home paying a similar amount of rent under a new contract, which will avoid a significant price rise.
The incident sparked a strong reaction and indignation throughout Spain.
The government of Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday approved relief measures in the area of housing that now need to be approved by the Spanish Congress and that include the prohibition of evictions until 2030 and a two-year extension of rental contracts that end before December 31, 2028, among others.
In recent days, thousands of people have mobilized in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, installing a camp to demand not only Maricarmen’s return to his home, but also a new housing regulation.
Maricarmen's father first rented the house in 1956 and she continued as a tenant after the death of her parents, during a time when there was a legal limit to rent.
The investment firm Urbagestión, which bought the property in 2018, increased the rental from about US$572 per month to US$3,020.
Subsequently, the company offered to reduce it to $1,700 but Abascal could not afford it, as he receives a monthly pension close to $1,400.
Three previous attempts to evacuate her had been blocked by the courts.
His case sparked protests across the country and led tens of thousands of people to demonstrate in the streets of the main Spanish cities to reject the displacement and demand greater protection for tenants against housing scarcity and heightened rents.
Duro said that the agreement for Maricarmen to return to his home is the “result of social mobilization.”
Advocates of the elderly qualified the outcome as a victory, but promised to continue their struggle to avoid similar displacements and pressure for the housing to be more affordable.
The Bank of Spain estimates that 700,000 homes are missing in the country, taking as a reference the difference between the existing demand and the pace of construction of new homes.
