On October 7th, a 87-year-old woman who was forcibly evicted in Spain passed away in a hospital. On the 8th, thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid to mourn this elderly woman who never got to return home.
Members of the tenant union, wearing orange vests, walked along in the parade procession, holding wreaths hand in hand.
The crowd kept shouting: "This is not death, this is murder!"
According to Reuters, in recent months, several people in Spain who received expulsion orders have committed suicide.
The deteriorating housing crisis is also evolving into a political storm:
After Parliament rejected the government's proposal to address the housing crisis, Prime Minister Sánchez announced that elections would be postponed to November 29th. The wave of protests that erupted after elderly people were evicted was one of the factors that led to this decision.
Half a month ago, on the noon of September 23rd, hundreds of protesters gathered outside an apartment building near Madrid’s Parque de las Leones.
People tried to prevent an eviction. Some cried, others shouted “Shameful!” and there were also people holding signs that read “Stop Evictions”. But none of these efforts succeeded in changing the outcome.
At around 1 p.m., 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, commonly known as "Maricañe", was taken out of her apartment in a wheelchair. She was then placed on a stretcher and sent to the ambulance.
This scene swiftly hurt Spanish society. Spanish radio commentator Sast said that this expulsion was "the most brutal portrayal of a shameful reality," and those images will also become the most direct reflection of Spain's housing crisis.
Maricaña has lived here for 71 years. Her parents once lived here and passed away here. She has also gone from being a young girl to an old woman with white hair.
This is the landlord's fourth attempt to kick her out of the house. He failed three times before, but this time, the court decision has finally come into effect.
This scene spread quickly: Mari Carmen was taken onto a stretcher and sent to the ambulance AFP
Maricarmen is not a tenant who has been late in paying rent for a long time. According to the National newspaper, Maricarmen receives a pension of about 1400 euros per month and has always paid her rent and related bills on time. Thanks to the historical low-rent agreements, she pays an average of about 500 euros per month for rent and related expenses.
The problem lies in the ownership of the house and the lease agreement.
In 1956, 17-year-old Mari Carmen moved into this apartment with her parents. At that time, Spain was under Franco’s rule, and women had many restrictions regarding their rights in civil matters such as leases. The initial lease was signed by her father, and after his death, it was taken over by her mother, before finally being transferred to Mari Carmen’s name.
These low-rent contracts left behind by history allow some former tenants to live at rents significantly lower than market prices for a long time. However, when the property changes owners or legal rules change, these old leases can become points of contention.
In 2018, the real estate investment and management company Urbagestión purchased an apartment where Mari Carmen lived, for approximately 240,000 euros. According to reports, there were still residents who enjoyed low-cost lease agreements in that apartment at that time.
Urbagestión is a small real estate company, not a typical large investment fund. Tenant organizations criticize it for acquiring old lease housing at low prices and forcing evictions to generate investment income. The company denies these accusations, stating that its actions comply with legal regulations.
The core of the dispute is an old lease agreement that has been passed down from the father of Mari Carmen’s generation. The company believes that after two rounds of lease inheritance, the original contract has become invalid; Mari Carmen, however, wishes to continue living here at a rent she can afford.
The two parties then entered into a legal dispute that lasted for many years. Her lawyers, family members, and tenant organizations tried to negotiate with the property owner. Some even offered to pay the difference in rent or purchase the apartment, but no agreement could be reached.
Regarding the landlord's asking price, there is inconsistency in public reports. The National News wrote that 1,600 euros per month was offered during negotiations; BBC and CNN reported that the rent increased from around 500 euros to 2,650 euros, and then dropped to 1,650 euros. Regardless of which figure is correct, it is still higher than or close to her entire pension, making it unaffordable for her.
For this company, it’s a property that can be rented out again to generate higher profits; for Mari Carmen, it’s almost her entire life.
The dispute finally came to court for enforcement.
The image of the elderly being carried onto the ambulance quickly spread throughout Spain. Protesters began to appear in the center of Madrid, and later, support activities expanded to other cities. The dispute that originally centered around an apartment quickly turned into a question about the entire housing system.
Under public pressure, there finally turned out to be a turnaround in the situation.
On September 28th, after more than four hours of negotiations, with the mediation of the Madrid Housing Company (EMVS), Urbagestión reached an agreement with the representatives of Mari Carmen, agreeing to let her re-enter the building.
According to the arrangements disclosed later, she can sign a new lease agreement lasting for eight years, with the rent not exceeding 30% of her net income. Her lawyer said that based on this limit, the monthly rent would still be around 500 euros, similar to the rent and related bills she paid before. The final amount will depend on the income proof she submits. The agreement also requires her personal confirmation.
This is almost what she and her supporters have been striving for.
However, Mari Carmen was already hospitalized at that time. After being expelled, she continued to suffer from severe anxiety and fatigue, and her physical condition did not improve. She originally planned to wait a while longer before completing the signing procedures.
On October 7th, Mari Carmen passed away in the hospital at the age of 87.
She was unable to step back into that familiar home again.
As of now, the hospital has not announced her specific cause of death, so it cannot be concluded that expulsion was directly responsible for her death. However, this does not prevent people from wondering: why did an elderly person who had lived for over 70 years go through such a long and painful housing dispute at the end of her life?
According to a joint statement by family members, lawyers, and tenant organizations, although an agreement was reached to allow her to return home, this solution came “too late”.
Spanish National Report: Maria Carla Men Changed Spain
On September 26th, the Plaza de Sol in Madrid was crowded with people.
At the front of the protest march was a huge photo of Maricarmen. Some people held keys, while others shouted slogans opposing the eviction. The Spanish government’s representative office in Madrid estimated that about 25,000 people participated in the parade on that day.
Among them was a 22-year-old young man named Ángel, from Tenerife Island.
He told the National newspaper that he spends 500 euros per month on renting a bedroom, and he even feels lucky. He knows that the landlord could raise the rent at any time, and his situation might change as well.
He regarded Mari Carmen as his grandmother, mother, and even his future self.
Among the crowd was also Victor, who is 69 years old. He has his own house, but he still participated in the parade. He said that he believes that life should be more important than business.
Forty-two-year-old Vanessa had more specific worries. She lived in the suburbs of Madrid, her lease was expiring in 2031, but the investment fund had purchased the entire building. She worried that once the contract ended, both herself and her neighbors would lose their homes.
There is also a 26-year-old teacher named Marta. She was born in the Llatina neighborhood of Madrid, but had to move elsewhere due to the proliferation of vacation apartments and rising rents. She said that her mother’s neighborhood has been filled with tourists, and old neighbors have been leaving one after another.
These people have different ages and incomes. Some rent houses, while others have bought their own homes. But they all share a common concern: even if one works hard, pays rent on time, and lives in the same place for decades, they may not be able to secure a stable living environment.
This is precisely why this protest goes beyond ordinary housing disputes.
On September 26th, in Madrid, Spain, after Mari Carmen was evicted, people organized protests demanding stricter laws to protect the rights of tenants. AP
In the eyes of young people, Mari Carmen's experience is not just the misfortune of an old man, but also a preview of their future lives.
For an increasing number of Spaniards, buying a house is out of reach, and renting can consume a significant portion of income. Data released by the Spanish National Statistics Office in September showed that housing prices across the country increased by 12.2% in the second quarter of 2026. Statistics from the real estate platform Idealista indicated that in August, the average listing rent for residential properties reached 15.1 euros per square meter, a rise of 5.8% compared to the previous year.
The burden of housing is also becoming increasingly heavy. According to Spanish official statistics, in 2024, 28.1% of people renting at market prices had housing expenses exceeding 40% of their disposable income, which is higher than the EU average of 19.2%.
These numbers also reveal a common dilemma between two generations: Mari Carmen enjoys relatively low old rent, but still cannot keep the home where she has lived for most of her life; young people, even if they are willing to pay higher rent, may not be able to find suitable housing in the city where they work and live.
They face different problems, but they are all paying the price for the same housing crisis.
