Sawt Falasteen - Spain housing protests keep heat on government as PM seeks new law

Unaffordable housing has been a running sore for years in Spain, but the outcry over an eviction last week of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal thrust the crisis to the forefront of the political debate.

Abascal, who uses a wheelchair, was removed on a stretcher last Wednesday from the Madrid home where she had lived for decades after the real estate firm that owned it hiked the monthly rent by 275 percent to 2,650 euros ($3,000), supporters say.

Demonstrators have set up a camp of roughly 100 tents in the capital's emblematic Puerta del Sol square since Saturday night, while tens of thousands of people have protested across the country.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government is seeking agreement on a new housing package to present to cabinet on Tuesday amid growing pressure over rising housing costs.

"We are demanding that this decree-law be enacted, to protect the right to housing and prevent evictions," said Carlota, a 29-year-old protester who spent Sunday night in Sol, a busy square normally full of commuters and tourists.

"We are living through a serious situation in Spain right now," said Carlota, calling for "an end to putting capital and investment funds before people".

In Barcelona, which has seen several demonstrations in recent years linking housing costs to overtourism, around 2,000 protesters gathered on Monday night to demand ambitious measures during a visit by Sanchez.

"We have come here to tell him (Sanchez) that we don't want a sham decree," Carme Arcarazo, a spokeswoman for the Catalan Tenants' Union, told reporters including AFP.

"We don't want sticking plasters... we want decent housing so that what happened to Maricarmen doesn't happen again," said Arcarazo, demanding a rent freeze, indefinite contracts and anti-eviction measures.

- 'A jungle' -

Sanchez's Socialist Party is holding talks with far-left junior coalition partners Sumar and an array of other parties to pass a law that can appease the widespread anger.

But his coalition lacks a majority in parliament, making the success of any such initiative unclear, while a similar housing bill was defeated earlier this year.

Over the past decade, the average rental price per square metre in Spain has almost doubled, reaching 15.10 euros per square metre in August, according to real estate portal Idealista.

For buyers, it now stands at 2,355 euros, an increase of more than 50 percent over the same period, according to official figures.

"It's a jungle, it's impossible to become fully independent without flat-sharing," Laura Requena, a 32-year-old teacher, told AFP at the Barcelona protest.

"We can't make ends meet while having to pay a rent," she added.

Hospitalised for exhaustion since her eviction, Abascal has become a symbol of the protest against runaway housing prices and a lack of tenant protections, encouraging the Madrid campers who braved rain on Monday.

"I'm asking you all to be courageous, to fight, to defend what belongs to us," said Abascal in a video posted on X by the Madrid Tenants' Union.

Beatriz Blanco said she was ready to remain in the Puerta del Sol camp for "at least for another night", describing housing prices as "completely insane".

"It's an utterly unsustainable situation," said the 37-year-old, who is self-employed.

The Bank of Spain estimates the country of around 50 million people is short of 700,000 homes, based on the gap between demand and new construction.

Spain has little public housing, while rents have been driven up by increased demand, including from tourism and population growth linked to immigration, analysts say.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST