Spain's Housing Crisis Sparks Widespread Protests Over Evictions

Protesters across Spain are taking to the streets to demand action over the country's worsening housing crisis. This has left thousands of people struggling to find affordable homes. The protests, which began in Valencia, are expected to spread to other cities across the country, including Madrid and Barcelona.

According to a spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants' Union. The protests are a response to the government's failure to pass emergency housing legislation. Which would have provided greater protections for tenants and helped to address the shortage of affordable homes.

"There is a lot of anger in the streets," said the spokesperson. "We're not here for pleasure or comfort. We're here out of conviction."

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The housing crisis in Spain has been exacerbated by a shortage of homes. With the Bank of Spain estimating that the country is short of 700,000 homes. House prices have risen by 12.2% in the past year, according to figures from the national statistics institute INE.

Parliament's rejection of the government's proposed legislation on Friday has left the housing sector grappling with the implications of a two-year reprieve from eviction for vulnerable tenants. Meanwhile, rental leases set to expire before 2028 are now extended until 2030, and a ban on purchases by vulture funds takes effect.

Despite the government's efforts to address the crisis, protests have continued, with demonstrators calling for a general strike over the housing crisis. The Madrid Tenants' Union has said that the rejection of the proposed legislation "exacerbates the housing crisis which is costing the working class their lives".

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Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who was evicted from her home last month, has become a symbol of the crisis. Her eviction sparked widespread protests across Spain, with demonstrators demanding lower rents, an end to evictions, and a ban on investment funds.

Following a crushing defeat in the Spanish Congress on Friday. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is facing increased pressure to dissolve parliament and trigger an early general election. The timing, previously set for next summer, now appears uncertain.

Sánchez's coalition government, comprising the Socialist party and junior ally Sumar, holds a precarious minority in the legislature.