Spain protests: Evicted 87-year-old woman to return to Madrid home

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1. 1h ago

   Evicted 87-Year-Old Woman to Return to Madrid Home

   An 87-year-old woman named Maricarmen Abascal is set to return to her Madrid apartment after a deal was reached with the property owners to restore her old rent under a new rental contract. Abascal was forcibly removed Wednesday from the home she had lived in since 1955, an eviction that left her sleeping in a car and catalyzed widespread outrage. The incident drew nearly 10,000 protesters into the streets of Madrid and sparked demonstrations across Spain, intensifying pressure on the government to tackle soaring housing costs and corporate landlord practices.

   Why it matters

   Housing affordability has become a severe political flashpoint across Spain, drawing intense public anger over rising rents and speculative real estate practices. The sudden displacement of elderly tenants has galvanized citizens and housing activists demanding systemic reform. In response to the massive street demonstrations, the Spanish government announced new measures aimed at fixing the housing crisis and targeting speculative investment firms.

   What is confirmed

   • Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, was forcibly removed on Wednesday from the Madrid apartment she had lived in since 1955.
   • Nearly 10,000 people protested in the streets of Madrid following the eviction.
   • Abascal will return to her home under a new rental contract after reaching a deal with the property's owners to restore her old rent.
   • Spain's government presented new measures to address the country's housing crisis.

   What to watch next

   • Whether the Spanish government's newly announced housing measures will satisfy protesters and effectively curb the housing crisis.
   • Further actions by authorities regarding the proposed ban on vulture funds in the housing market.
   Sources used for this update (18)

   1. Reuters — Vulnerable woman evicted and left to sleep in a car shows depth of Spain's housing crisis
   2. flipboard.com — Anger grows across Spain after elderly woman evicted from her home of 70 years
   3. www.aljazeera.com — Thousands protest in Madrid against Spain’s housing crisis | Housing
   4. People.com — 87-Year-Old Woman Who Was Evicted After 71 Years Allowed Home After Nearly 10,000 People Protest in the Streets
   5. The New York Times — Evicted Woman Set to Return Home as Spain Plans Fixes to Housing Crisis
   6. dw.com — Spain agrees on measures to fix housing crisis, ban eviction
   7. BBC — Spain announces new housing measures after protests over 87-year-old woman's eviction
   8. Financial Times — Spain seeks to ban ‘vulture funds’ from housing market
   9. Al Jazeera — Spain protests: Evicted 87-year-old woman to return to Madrid home
   10. The Guardian — It shouldn’t take the eviction of an 87-year-old to get Spain’s housing crisis fixed | María Ramírez
   11. NPR — An 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked protests in Spain is returning home
   12. theweek.com — How a Madrid pensioner become a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis
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