Maricarmen moved into an apartment in Madrid when she was 17. For the next decades, despite social and political changes, her life took place within the same four walls. The situation changed dramatically when the new owner - Urbagestión - took over the building where she lived. The previous rent of around 500 euros per month was increased to an astronomical amount of 2,650 euros. Meanwhile, the woman's pension is only EUR 1,350, which made it impossible for her to continue paying for the apartment.
The story of Maricarmen touched the people of Madrid and the whole of Spain. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the building where the pensioner lived to express their opposition to the planned eviction. Chanting "Maricarmen stays", protesters tried to prevent bailiffs and police from entering. Many of them blocked the staircase to protect the elderly woman from being forced to leave the house.
Despite numerous appeals and determination of the demonstrators, the intervention of the Spanish Policía Nacional ended with the removal of the protesters using pepper spray.
During these events, the 87-year-old's health condition deteriorated. An ambulance was called to the scene and paramedics were forced to carry Maricarmen out on a stretcher. The woman was taken to hospital.
The roots of this situation date back to the 1950s. Father Maricarmen signed the lease in 1956, taking advantage of regulations introduced during the dictatorship of General Franco. This law guaranteed rent control and mandatory extension of lease contracts for subsequent generations. However, over the years and subsequent legislative changes, these protections began to gradually expire. Currently, when the contract is transferred to a child for the second time, the obligation to extend the lease is limited to two years, unless the tenant is at least 65% disabled.
Maricarmen, who was assessed as 50% disabled, did not meet this condition. The new owners of the building concluded that the lease had expired and demanded that the rent be paid at market rates.
The Maricarmen case even reached the United Nations forum. UN representatives appealed to the Spanish authorities to stop the eviction and provide the woman with decent housing conditions. However, even international intervention did not bring results. The eviction was carried out and Maricarmen had to leave her house.
The story of 87-year-old Maricarmen is a symbol of a broader problem that Spain is currently facing. In the country's largest cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona, apartment rental prices are reaching record levels. Fewer and fewer people, especially young people, can afford their own place. The increase in real estate prices, the mass purchase of buildings by investment funds and the lack of a sufficient number of social apartments make the problem of housing exclusion grow.
The eviction of Maricarmen sparked a wave of discussion on the need for changes in housing policy and protection of tenants, especially the elderly and the most vulnerable. Many residents of Spain look to the future with fear, wondering whether they themselves will become victims of similar tragedies.
