Spain Approves Eviction Ban Until 2030 Amid Housing Protests

Spain's coalition government approved new housing measures on Tuesday, including a ban on evictions until 2030, following widespread protests over the country's housing crisis.

Health Minister Mónica García announced the measures, stating they would bring relief to over five million people. The proposals come into effect immediately but require approval by Congress within a month, with a vote hoped for as soon as this Friday. The protests were sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home last week, who was removed on a stretcher.

Hundreds of people remained camped in Madrid's main squares on Tuesday to protest her removal. Maricarmen's father first rented the property in 1956, and she continued as the tenant after her parents died. A real estate company acquired the property in 2018 and increased her monthly rent by 275% to €2,650. A deal was struck for Maricarmen to return to her apartment, with rent similar to what she had been paying.

Other approved measures include rolling over contracts until 2028, stricter regulation of short-term and room rentals, and banning the purchase of housing by investment firms, often called vulture funds. Health Minister García, of the Sumar alliance, stated it is time to intervene in the speculative housing market. Opposition politician Míriam Nogueras of Junts said the agreement left small landlords out in the cold.

The government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, lacks a majority in parliament and has struggled to get right-leaning parties to approve previous decrees; a decree seeking to roll over rental contracts was blocked in April. Over a million properties, representing 4% of Spain's housing stock, are owned by large companies, a figure that can reach 10% in cities like Madrid and Barcelona.