Lorraine Williamson
Pedro Sánchez says the Government is working “against the clock” to take a new housing decree to Tuesday’s Council of Ministers, after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal became a rallying point for Spain’s housing crisis.
Around 25,000 people marched through Madrid on Saturday, according to the Government Delegation, while hundreds remained camped in Puerta del Sol on Sunday demanding action to prevent similar evictions.
Sánchez responds directly to Maricarmen Abascal
The prime minister used a PSOE event in Getafe on Sunday to respond directly to Maricarmen, who had called on the Government to approve what campaigners have dubbed the “Maricarmen decree”.
Sánchez said his government was working “against the clock” to bring the housing decree to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, 29 September. He also appealed to parliamentary groups to make a final effort to support the legislation when it subsequently requires approval in Congress.
The proposed legislation predates Maricarmen’s eviction and has already been delayed amid disagreements over its contents and parliamentary support. Measures under discussion include extending rental contracts, regulating seasonal and room rentals, changes affecting tourist accommodation and steps intended to increase the supply of affordable housing.
25,000 march through Madrid
Saturday’s housing demonstration began at Puerta del Sol before moving towards the Congress of Deputies. The Government Delegation estimated attendance at around 25,000 people, while organisers claimed a substantially higher figure.
The protest was held under the slogan “Ni una Maricarmen más” – “Not one more Maricarmen” – after the 87-year-old was evicted last Wednesday from the Retiro district flat where she had lived for more than 70 years.
When the march ended, some protesters returned to Puerta del Sol and began an overnight encampment. Around 500 people were still there on Sunday morning, according to figures supplied by the Government Delegation, with approximately 100 tents erected in the square.
Maricarmen’s eviction becomes national housing issue
Maricarmen Abascal’s case has attracted widespread attention because of her age and the length of time she had lived in the property. Her father originally rented the flat in 1956 and she subsequently continued living there under an old rental contract.
She was evicted on Wednesday following a lengthy legal dispute with the property’s owner, Urbagestión. Maricarmen was subsequently admitted to Madrid’s Gregorio Marañón hospital, from where she released a video thanking supporters and calling for wider action to protect people facing similar situations.
The case has rapidly moved beyond the circumstances of one Madrid tenancy. Campaigners have used it to highlight concerns over evictions, rental affordability and the role of large property owners, while the phrase “Maricarmen decree” has become attached to the Government’s already-planned housing legislation.
Monday meeting could determine whether she returns home
There could be a more immediate development in Maricarmen’s own case on Monday.
Madrid’s municipal housing company, EMVS, is due to mediate at a 16:00 meeting between Maricarmen’s representatives and Urbagestión, the company that owns the property. The aim is to explore whether an agreement can be reached allowing her to return to the flat.
Madrid City Council previously rejected a proposal to bring the property into its ReViVa programme because it did not meet the scheme’s legal requirements. The council has instead offered its rental mediation service, with reports suggesting it will seek an agreement under which Maricarmen’s rent would not exceed 40% of her income.
Pressure now turns to Tuesday
Attention will therefore move through two important days. Monday’s mediation could determine whether Maricarmen herself is able to return to the home she occupied for seven decades, while Tuesday’s Council of Ministers could determine whether the Government finally moves ahead with its wider housing decree.
Meanwhile, protesters in Puerta del Sol have said they intend to maintain pressure on the Government ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. What began with one woman’s eviction has now become part of a much broader confrontation over housing affordability, tenants’ rights and eviction protections in Spain.