Spain announces new housing measures after protests over 87-year-old woman's eviction

What the report says

Spain’s coalition government has approved a package of housing measures after nationwide protests over the country’s housing crisis, which intensified following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her Madrid home last week. The BBC reported that ministers met on Tuesday to discuss the plan, which still needs parliamentary approval because the minority government does not have a majority.

Among the measures are a proposed ban on evictions until 2030, automatic renewal of tenant contracts until 2028, tighter rules on short-term and room rentals, and restrictions on housing purchases by investment firms. Health Minister Mónica García said the proposals were intended to help millions of people and to curb what the government views as speculative pressure in the housing market. The article also notes criticism from opposition politician Míriam Nogueras, who argued that the agreement could unfairly affect small property owners.

The housing measures come against a backdrop of growing public anger over affordability and tenancy insecurity in several Spanish cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga and Cadiz. In Madrid, protesters have set up an encampment in Puerta del Sol after the elderly woman’s eviction became a symbol of the crisis.

Separately, the BBC said the woman’s lawyer reported she may be allowed to return home after a deal with the property owner, though she had not yet signed it. That development is linked to the same broader housing dispute but is distinct from the government’s proposed reforms.