Spain’s coalition unveils emergency housing decrees to halt evictions after Maricarmen crisis

Key points

• The Spanish cabinet approved two decrees on Tuesday, including a ban on evictions until 2030 and the automatic renewal of rental contracts until 2028.
• The measures also ban investment firms, termed 'vulture funds,' from purchasing housing and impose stricter regulations on short-term and room rentals.
• The decrees take effect immediately but require approval from Congress within 30 days, with a vote potentially scheduled for Friday.
• Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked the crisis, reached a preliminary deal with her landlord to return to her home, though she has not yet signed it.
• The proposals were announced after tens of thousands of people protested in Madrid, Barcelona, and other cities, with hundreds of tents set up in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square.

Background

The current crisis follows a series of failed attempts to evict Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment, where she had lived since 1956. Investment firm Urbagestión purchased the property in 2018 and raised her rent to exceed her pension, leading to her forced removal on a stretcher in late September. This incident highlighted Spain’s severe housing shortage, with the Bank of Spain estimating a deficit of 700,000 homes, and rising rents that have increased by 8.5% in 2025 alone. Previous attempts by the government to pass housing decrees were blocked by right-leaning parties in April 2026.

How outlets are covering it

BBC reports that Health Minister Mónica García framed the measures as a necessary intervention against speculative markets, crediting the protests for the government’s action. In contrast, Al Jazeera notes that while the eviction ban is likely to pass, the broader package may face opposition from conservative parties sympathetic to landlords. The Guardian highlights the intensity of the street movement, noting that activists view the government’s response as potentially insufficient and are prepared to escalate protests if the decrees are not approved. Opposition politician Míriam Nogueras criticized the blanket eviction ban as a mistake that unfairly penalizes small landlords who invested their savings, arguing that only evictions by large funds should be targeted.

Why it matters

The outcome of this parliamentary vote will determine whether Spain can implement significant structural changes to its housing market. If the decrees pass, they will protect over five million people from eviction and restrict the influence of investment funds in residential property. If they fail, the government risks losing support from its coalition partners and facing continued unrest from a movement that has drawn comparisons to the 2011 Indignados movement. The case of Maricarmen Abascal has become a national symbol of the housing crisis, influencing policy discussions across Europe regarding tenant rights and financialization of housing.

What to watch

The Spanish Congress is expected to vote on the two housing decrees as early as this Friday. The government must secure support from right-leaning parties, including Junts, within 30 days to make the measures permanent. Activists, including the Madrid Tenants' Union, have called for further protests next weekend to monitor the legislative process and ensure the final text meets their demands. Maricarmen Abascal is expected to sign the deal to return to her home once the agreement is formalized.