Spanish housing protests spread as government prepares its response

MADRID (AP) — Housing protesters camped out in Madrid's most iconic square awoke from their third night in the open to await details from the Spanish government on what it's doing to tackle a crisis that has brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets in recent days .

The protests and the encampment in Puerto del Sol followed the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, 87, who was carried out on a stretcher from the apartment where she had lived for seven decades.

Rising costs and a housing shortage are pricing many Spaniards out of the housing market , despite strong economic growth in Europe’s fourth-largest economy. The protesters are demanding stronger protections for tenants, measures to combat fraud and a ban on evictions when alternative housing is unavailable.

Since the camp was set up on Saturday, the number of tents in the central square has increased. Smaller protest encampments have sprung up in other cities, from Seville and Málaga in the south to Santiago de Compostela in the north and Palma de Mallorca in the tourist-friendly Balearic Islands, drawing international attention to a long-running issue.

Asked about the situation on Monday, Pope Leo XIV said it underscored the need for political leaders to find solutions to the housing crisis affecting many communities.

“Maybe we have to insist that political leaders, authorities find a solution to this, because it’s obviously increasing and oftentimes we only react in the moment of an emergency,” he said, after admitting that he was not familiar with the case. “But we have to try to see what the systemic cause of the problem is and how to help.”

Spain’s left-wing coalition government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is expected to present its decree at a news conference at 1100 GMT.

Spain has had a housing law in place since 2023 that regulates rents and protects tenants, as well as allowing rent caps in high-demand areas at the request of local governments.

Abascal, who has been hospitalized since she was carried out of her apartment on Wednesday, will be able to return home following a preliminary agreement reached Monday night with the company that owns the building in the upscale Retiro neighborhood. The proposal limits her rent to 30% of her income, meaning she will not pay more than the 500 euros ($570) per month she paid previously, her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, told reporters Tuesday.

Spanish media reported that Abascal’s father first rented the property in 1956 and she continued as the tenant after her parents died, during which time there was a rent cap. The building changed ownership in 2018, and Abascal was offered the opportunity to buy the apartment but could not afford it, according to the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organized Saturday’s protest.

Urbagestión, an investment fund that later bought the unit, raised her monthly rent from 500 euros ($570) to 2,650 euros. It subsequently lowered the rent to 1,650 euros, which Abascal still could not afford on her pension, the union said.

Associated Press journalist Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.