The woman evacuated from the apartment in Madrid where she lived for seven decades, which has become a symbol of the housing crisis in Spain, can return home.
Maricarmen Abascal, 87 years old, was forcibly removed on a stretcher from the apartment where she lived for over 70 years on September 23. After the evacuation, she was hospitalized, as reported by BBC.
Abascal was forced to leave her home after the building was bought by a real estate company, and the rent was increased by 275%, to 2,650 euros per month, according to the Tenants' Union.
The images of the woman being carried out of the apartment on a stretcher after the police broke the door have sparked outrage in Spain, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised measures to support those affected by the housing crisis.
Abascal's lawyer, Beatriz Duro, stated at a press conference that there was "goodwill on both sides" and that the woman will pay a rent similar to the current one based on a new contract.
Duro met for several hours on Monday with representatives of the investment company Urbagestión, the owner of the apartment. However, the agreement they reached must be approved by Maricarmen Abascal, who could not attend the meeting.
The lawyer added that Abascal, who is still in the hospital, will sign the agreement when she feels better.
Up to 1,000 protesters welcomed the agreement at Puerta del Sol, in central Madrid, where hundreds of tents were set up. The Tenants' Union of Madrid, however, called on the government to adopt broader housing reforms, "so that there are no more cases like Maricarmen's."
Abascal's father first rented the apartment in 1956, and she remained a tenant after her parents' death. During this period, the rent was capped.
Urbagestión, the company that purchased the property, increased the rent from 500 euros per month to 2,650 euros.
Later, the company offered to reduce the rent to 1,650 euros, but even this amount could not be paid by the woman, whose monthly pension income is 1,350 euros.
Her case triggered protests across the country, and on Saturday, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Madrid to protest the eviction and demand stronger protection for tenants, amid a housing shortage and rapidly rising rents.
Duro stated that the agreement is "the result of social mobilization."
I.O.