Spain’s Housing Crisis Takes Centre Stage Ahead of Snap Poll

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Madrid: Spain's deteriorating housing crisis is expected to dominate the country's snap general election, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for on November 29, eight months earlier than intended. The election comes after weeks of widespread protests against rising rents, housing shortages, and evictions.

The eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from her Madrid house sparked public outrage and highlighted Spain's housing issues. Abascal died in the hospital on Wednesday. Last week, opposition MPs voted against emergency measures to address evictions and soaring housing costs, causing a setback for Sánchez's government. The defeat paved the stage for an early election.

Since then, the government has adopted twenty-one urgent housing measures, including as increased safeguards against evictions, seasonal rental regulations, and a €10 billion fund for development subsidies and housing loans.
By 2028, Spain is expected to have a scarcity of one million dwellings, and rents have increased significantly, especially in large cities. Parties are putting up varying strategies to boost housing supply, control rents, and safeguard tenants as the problem has grown in importance as a political issue.

Housing has become a major worry for voters ahead of the November election, but immigration, accusations of corruption, and other political divisions are also expected to be included in the election.