After María del Carmen Abascal, 87, was evicted from her longtime Madrid home, protesters spent a second day camped in Puerta del Sol on Sunday. Tens of thousands marched Saturday, calling for tenant protections and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.
Alicia del Río, spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, said protesters would camp at least until Tuesday, when the Socialist-led government is expected to announce new measures at a cabinet meeting. The union is also seeking indefinite rental contracts and anti-fraud rules.
The union said investment fund Urbagestión raised Abascal's monthly rent from 500 euros to 2,650 euros, then lowered it to 1,650 euros, which she still could not afford on her pension. The Bank of Spain estimated a shortage of about 550,000 homes last year; subsidized public rentals make up less than 2% of Spain's housing stock, compared with an EU average of 8%.
