Spain's housing crisis set to shape November snap election

Spain’s housing crisis has become a central issue ahead of a snap election called by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for November 29.

Protests grew after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her Madrid home on a stretcher on September 23, following a sharp rent increase.

Abascal died in hospital on October 7 and became a symbol of the crisis.

Housing costs have risen far faster than wages, and renting a 50-square-meter apartment in Madrid cost an average of 1,170 euros a month in September.

Spain also has a small supply of public housing, while construction has not kept pace with demand since the 2008 financial crash.

Young adults are particularly affected: more than half of people under 30 rented in 2025.

Sanchez’s leftist coalition has proposed measures including tighter eviction restrictions and a ban on speculative home purchases, and housing policy is expected to be a major election debate.