"""

What do the decrees provide?

A new housing package that includes freezing evictions in Spain until 2030 was approved by the cabinet after growing protests triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid. The two decrees took effect immediately, but they still need approval from the Congress within 30 days to remain in force.

Health Minister Mónica García said the rules could provide relief for more than 5 million people. The package announced by the government includes a series of steps aimed at protecting tenants and limiting speculative pressure.

What is included in the package?

  • A ban on evictions until 2030
  • Lease extensions possible until 2028
  • Stricter rules for short-term and room rentals
  • A ban on investment firms buying homes

Parliamentary approval and political bargaining

The minority government led by Pedro Sánchez, made up of the Socialists and their small coalition partner Sumar, does not have a majority in parliament. That means the package will need support from other parties to become law, even though it has already taken effect; the government wants to hold the vote on Friday if possible.

In April, another decree allowing lease extensions was blocked by votes from the right. This time, Míriam Nogueras, spokeswoman for the centrist Catalan nationalist party Junts, also objected to treating large funds and small landlords under the same framework.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez called on parties to support the measures, while the Madrid Tenants' Union said the fight is not over. Representatives of the group said they will closely examine the details of the decree text and that new nationwide protests are planned for next weekend.

How did the Maricarmen Abascal case become a symbol?

Maricarmen Abascal has become one of the symbols of Spain's housing crisis after being carried out of her apartment in Madrid on a stretcher last week. According to her lawyer, a deal reached on Monday with the company that owns the apartment has opened the door for her to return home; however, she has not yet signed it because she is in hospital.

Abascal's father rented the home in 1956. After her family members died, she continued living there and was able to stay thanks to rent caps; however, after the property was bought in 2018 by the investment firm Urbagestión, the monthly rent rose above her pension.

What do the numbers show?

The protests began in Madrid last week and spread to Barcelona, Seville, Malaga and Cadiz. Thousands marched in the capital on Saturday, and hundreds of tents were set up in Puerta del Sol Square; in Zaragoza, another woman's eviction was temporarily halted on Tuesday.

The Bank of Spain estimates that the country has a shortage of 700,000 homes because demand is outpacing new construction. According to data from the national statistics institute INE, house prices rose 12.2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026. Real estate company Idealista said rental costs increased 8.5% in 2025, with the rise reaching 9.7% in Madrid; it added that average rent stood at 23.80 euros per square meter in Barcelona and 22.70 euros in Madrid.

"""