The lawyer for the retired woman, whose eviction from her home last week sparked widespread protests in Spain, said that her client will be able to return to her residence, after reaching an agreement with the company that evacuated her.
The 87-year-old woman was forcibly evicted from her apartment in central Madrid - where she had lived for seventy years - after the company attempted to dramatically raise the rent to more than four times the current value.
“If this agreement that we reached is signed, it will undoubtedly be a better and happier outcome for everyone,” Abascal’s lawyer, Beatrice Doro, told reporters, describing the matter as “the fruit of a societal movement.”
Doro added: "This agreement is a different way to end such situations that unfortunately occur on a daily basis in this country, and we hope that this will contribute to changing the prevailing approach regarding housing issues in general."
Doro indicated that there was “good faith from both parties,” saying that Abascal would sign the agreement as soon as her health condition improved, explaining that she would pay rent similar to what she had previously paid.
Doro added that Abascal will then be able to return to her apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood in Madrid after leaving the hospital, noting that the goal now is to "speed up the procedures."
Abascal, who uses a wheelchair, was transported on a medical stretcher from her home in Madrid to the hospital to receive treatment for stress following the eviction, becoming a symbol of the protests denouncing the insane rise in housing prices and the lack of measures to protect tenants.
Marie Carmen was unable to pay the rent that had been set by the investment company that owned the apartment that her father had first rented in 1956, and after his death, his daughter continued to pay the rent and live in the apartment, with a maximum rent limit.
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In 2018, the problem began when Orbachestion bought the property that included the apartment, and took advantage of a legal loophole that allowed it to raise the rent from 500 euros ($572) to 2,650 euros.
Although the company reduced the new rent to 1,650 euros, Marie Carmen was also unable to pay, as she receives a monthly pension that does not exceed 1,350 euros.
Supporters declared their solidarity with Marie Carmen and set up tents outside the building last Tuesday evening, and were joined by celebrities including Carlos, brother of the star Javier Bardem, and singer Ana Belen.
By last Wednesday morning, hundreds of people, most of them young people, had gathered in front of the building in an attempt to prevent her from being evicted from her apartment, chanting “Mari Carmen stays.” Some activists closed the stairs inside the building.
The police cordoned off part of the street and removed people from the entrance to the building, including media reporters, and beat some demonstrators with batons.
Eviction of an 87-year-old woman highlights Spain's housing crisis
Tens of thousands went out to protest in different parts of the country, and demonstrators set up about 100 tents in Madrid's famous Puerta del Sol square since Saturday evening.
“We are currently living in a dangerous situation in Spain,” said Carlota, a 29-year-old demonstrator who spent Sunday evening in Madrid’s famous square, calling for “an end to the preference of capital and investment funds over people’s interests.”
“We don’t want a sham decree.”
In Barcelona, which in recent years has witnessed numerous demonstrations linking housing costs to the phenomenon of excessive tourism, thousands demonstrated outside an awards ceremony attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday, demanding stronger protection for tenants in light of the housing shortage and sharply rising rents.
The famous singer Amaya Romero handed Sanchez a banner with the phrase “Marie Carmen Decree” written on it while receiving the “La Vanguardia” award in the young talent category.
During his speech, Sánchez reiterated his adherence to the decree law - popularly known as the “Marie Carmen Decree” - which will be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, which would provide an immediate relief to tenants.
“We came here to tell him (Sanchez) that we do not want a sham decree,” Carme Arcarazo, spokeswoman for the Catalonia Tenants Union, told reporters.
Arcarazo added: “We do not want patchwork solutions, but rather we want decent housing so that what happened to Marie Carmen will not be repeated,” calling for a freeze on rents, the adoption of indefinite-term contracts, and the adoption of measures to protect tenants from eviction.
“It is a jungle-like situation; it is impossible to have complete living independence without resorting to shared housing,” Laura Requena, a 32-year-old teacher, told AFP during the Barcelona demonstration, adding that living expenses cannot be met while having to pay the high rent.
The government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is seeking to reach an agreement on a new housing package to present to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, in an attempt to calm public anger.
