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

An 87-year-old woman in Madrid will return to her home after a real estate firm reversed an eviction following widespread public protests. The incident has sparked national debate over Spain's housing crisis and the impact of international investment funds on local rental markets.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between housing as a human right and the financialization of real estate in major European cities.
The real estate firm backs down and restores her old rent after mass protests over Spain’s housing crisis.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Protesters camp in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square, demanding political action to stop evictions and alleviate Spain’s housing crisis, on September 29, 2026 [Susana Vera/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 29 Sep 2026 29 Sep 2026 Large protests have erupted in Spain over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman who is set to return to her Madrid home, her representatives said.
The lawyer representing Maria del Carmen Abascal, known across Spain as Maricarmen, said on Tuesday that the real estate firm offered to reduce her rent back to its pre-dispute rate.
Under the deal, her monthly payments would be capped at about $570 for the next eight years, taking up roughly 30 percent of her pension.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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