Longstanding anger over unaffordable housing in Spain has become a central issue in next month’s general election, as rising rents, a shortage of public housing and a boom in tourist rentals put growing pressure on households.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap election for 29 November after parliament rejected his minority government’s housing‑relief package. The decision followed massive demonstrations in Madrid and other cities demanding affordable homes.
The protests were sparked by the eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal, who was removed from her Madrid apartment on a stretcher in September after the landlord sharply raised the rent. She died in hospital shortly afterwards, becoming a symbol of a crisis that spans all generations and social groups.
Hundreds of demonstrators camped in the capital’s Puerta del Sol square, turning it into a memorial after her death. Protesters wept, embraced and some called her death a “murder”. A previous settlement that would have allowed Abascal to return at a lower rent never materialised.
“She didn’t have to die this way. Maricarmen wanted to die in her house,” said Valeria Racu of the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which had backed Abascal in a long‑running legal battle. Unions announced a national minute’s silence for Friday at noon.
On Thursday, the square turned into an improvised memorial to Abascal. Protesters wept and embraced each other after learning the news. Hundreds marched towards parliament on Wednesday night, some calling the death a “murder”.
As in other European nations, housing is a pressing concern in Spain, especially for young adults. Many are priced out of the market and live with their parents well into their thirties. Housing price growth has outpaced wage growth in recent years.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), the average gross monthly salary is around €2,460, while renting a 50‑m² apartment in Madrid costs an average of €1,170 per month – roughly half of a typical income. Inflation reached 4.9 % in September, the highest since early 2023.
Short‑term tourist rentals in cities such as Barcelona are accused of shrinking the available housing stock and inflating prices. Investment funds that hold large property portfolios are also criticised for buying up homes and raising rents to maximise profits.
Madrid has only about 10,000 social‑housing units for its 3.5 million inhabitants, and demand is so high that allocations are made by lottery. A historic emphasis on home ownership under Franco’s dictatorship contributed to the limited public‑housing stock. While almost three‑quarters of households own their main residence, more than half of those under 30 rented in 2025, according to INE.
The 2008 global financial crisis marked a turning point for Spain’s property market. Jorge Galindo of Esade’s Centre for Economic Policy said the collapse of a real‑estate bubble destroyed construction jobs and shrank new‑build completions from roughly 260,000 per year in the 1990s to about 92,000 in 2025. He warned the country risks becoming “a society of inheritors”, where home ownership depends on parental wealth.
Successive governments have struggled to solve the problem, which will dominate the upcoming snap election. Sánchez’s leftist coalition proposed stricter eviction rules, a ban on speculative home purchases and automatic renewal of rental contracts, but the measures failed in parliament, prompting the early vote.
Major unions have scheduled a general strike for 11 November to press the government on housing, wages and the cost of living. A 2023 law aimed at increasing social housing, capping rents in stressed areas and penalising empty homes has not halted price rises.
The opposition Popular Party and far‑right Vox argue that eight years of left‑leaning governance have failed to curb the crisis. They advocate a construction boom to close the supply‑demand gap. Sánchez has accused the opposition of siding with speculators by rejecting his housing plan.
Galindo highlighted a “paradox” in the political debate: those most affected by the crisis—young people and immigrants—exert the least electoral influence because they vote less.
(with newswires)
