Madrid, Sep 28 (EFE).- Hundreds of people camped out in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square, as many others joined in demonstrations in other cities on Monday, to protest the housing crisis in Spain, as they await a vote by the Council of Ministers on a housing decree that has yet to gain consensus within the government.
Hundreds of people have set up tents since Saturday in Puerta del Sol, after the eviction of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman who was ousted from her lifelong home because she could not afford a rent increase, sparked nationwide outrage and demonstrations.
Protesters intend to stay in Puerta del Sol until at least Tuesday, when the government promised to approve a decree with urgent housing measures and reverse Maricarmen’s eviction.
The elderly woman remains hospitalized, having been taken there after riot police entered her home to execute a court order.
Not everyone is clear on what will happen after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. Some believe it may mark the end of the protest, while others want to keep it going because “the problem doesn’t end tomorrow.”
“It all depends on whether the ‘Maricarmen’ decree is approved and enforced,” Fina Parra, one of the union’s spokespeople in Madrid, told EFE.
“We don’t want a half-baked decree or law; we want whatever comes out of the Cabinet meeting tomorrow to be something that truly stops the eviction hemorrhage,» she added.
Little agreement within the government
The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced its intention to approve urgent measures on Tuesday, but needs the support of other political forces in Parliament, which, so far, is not even guaranteed from its own coalition partner, Sumar, which has not ruled out a “sit-in” if the text does not “fully” meet its demands.
The Socialist wing of the government emphasized on Monday that it was “working hard” to pass an “ambitious and comprehensive” decree that includes urgent measures to defend the right to housing, including protection against evictions, a ban on speculative purchases by vulture funds, the stabilization of rental contracts, regulation of seasonal rentals, a VAT tax on tourist apartments, and tax breaks for tenants and first home buyers.
However, the text will not include the automatic renewal of rental contracts, as demanded by protesters and the Tenants’ Union, to prevent landlords from imposing unregulated rent hikes at the end of a lease.
Improving accessibility
Maricarmen’s eviction was the final straw in Sapin’s long-standing housing crisis, as rising rents have forced many people to spend their entire salary to keep a roof over their heads and homeownership remains out of reach for a large portion of the population.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez advocated on Monday focusing on “affordability” and “prioritizing” residential use over tourist use, while maintaining that the “supply of affordable housing” must be increased.
“We must take action on housing, without a doubt,” said the prime minister in Barcelona, where hundreds of activists gathered near the Palacio de Congresos, where Sánchez was speaking, to demand a decree that would end evictions and restore open-ended rental contracts. EFE
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