An 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Evicted 87-Year-Old Maricarmen Abascal to Return to Madrid Home

   María del Carmen "Maricarmen" Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, will return to the Madrid apartment she occupied for 71 years. Following her forced removal on a stretcher last Wednesday, tens of thousands of people protested across Spain to demand housing reform. Abascal has been hospitalized since the eviction, which occurred after rent increased beyond her monthly pension following a change in property ownership. A preliminary agreement with the owner may allow her return under a new eight-year rental arrangement.

   Why it matters

   The case has become a symbol of Spain's housing crisis, where average rental prices have nearly doubled in ten years. Public outrage has pressured the government to propose emergency measures to address affordability and real estate market volatility.

   What is confirmed

   • Maricarmen Abascal is 87 years old.
   • Abascal lived in her Madrid apartment for 71 years before being evicted.
   • The eviction involved removing Abascal from her home on a stretcher.
   • Tens of thousands of people protested in Spanish streets following the eviction.
   • The Spanish government has presented measures to address the housing crisis.
   • Abascal was hospitalized after her eviction last Wednesday.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Abascal may return to her home under a new eight-year rental arrangement.
   • The Spanish government proposes a ban on evictions as part of its housing measures.
   • The proposed housing ban must be approved in parliament within 30 days.

   What to watch next

   • Parliamentary vote on the proposed eviction ban and housing measures
   • Confirmation of the final rental terms for Abascal's return
   Sources used for this update (22)

   1. NPR — Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis
   2. www.theguardian.com — Eviction of 87-year-old puts Spain’s deepening housing crisis ...
   3. People.com — 87-Year-Old Woman Who Was Evicted After 71 Years Allowed Home After Nearly 10,000 People Protest in the Streets
   4. The New York Times — Evicted Woman Set to Return Home as Spain Plans Fixes to Housing Crisis
   5. dw.com — Spain agrees on measures to fix housing crisis, ban eviction
   6. BBC — Spain announces new housing measures after protests over 87-year-old woman's eviction
   7. NBC News — Spain proposes ban on evictions as ousted 87-year-old accepts offer to return home
   8. NPR — An 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home
   9. The Guardian — How Europe’s housing crisis is fuelling a new movement
   10. Al Jazeera — Is Spain’s anti-eviction decree a fix for its housing crisis?
   11. AP News — Photos of Madrid protests after an 87-year-old woman’s eviction from her longtime home
   12. AP News — What to know about Spain's housing protests sparked by the eviction of the 87-year-old Maricarmen
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