Spain’s coalition government has approved a package of new housing measures in response to widespread protests over the nation’s housing crisis, which were ignited by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid last week.
Ministers convened on Tuesday to finalize the proposals, which include a potential ban on evictions until 2030, according to Health Minister Mónica García. She stated that the initiatives aim to provide relief to over five million people, though opposition figures have raised concerns about the impact on smaller property owners.
The proposed measures still require parliamentary approval, where the left-wing coalition government currently lacks a majority. In addition to the eviction ban, the package includes extending rental contracts until 2028, implementing stricter regulations on short-term and room rentals, and prohibiting investment firms from purchasing residential properties.
“It is time to intervene in the speculative housing market and start striking a balance between ordinary citizens and vulture funds,” García asserted. Acknowledging the public demonstrations that catalyzed the policy shift, she added, “Thanks to the mobilisations and the encampments. Without you, this would not have been possible.”
However, Míriam Nogueras, spokesperson for the pro-Catalan independence party Junts, criticized the blanket approach, noting that while evictions by large speculative funds must be halted, grouping small individual landlords who invested their savings in properties, flats, or restaurants into the same category is a mistake. “We all agree that evictions where the property is owned by a fund managing millions of euros obviously need to be stopped,” she told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. “But lumping together those who have invested their savings in a flat, a restaurant, or a property—putting them all in the same basket—is a mistake.”
The minority government, composed of the ruling Socialist Party and junior partner Sumar, has thirty days from the decree’s publication to secure an agreement in parliament. Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez is scheduled to provide further details on the measures during a news conference later on Tuesday.
