Spain passes housing measures after protests and strike

Spain's parliament passed measures on Thursday to restrict evictions and make housing more affordable, after weeks of protests and a general strike over the issue.

MPs rejected the automatic renewal of tenant contracts, a key demand of housing activists. The right-wing opposition, which leads most polls before the November 29 election, has vowed to repeal the measures.

The approved measures restrict the eviction of vulnerable tenants without alternative accommodation until the end of 2030. They also curb the acquisition of homes by so-called vulture funds, which have been a target of the protests.

Unaffordable housing had already been a major issue in Spain before the September eviction of 87-year-old Madrid pensioner Maricarmen Abascal from her lifelong home, and her subsequent death, sparked national uproar.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government had earlier failed to pass two decrees that included greater tenant protection and automatic contract renewals. That defeat prompted Sanchez to call a general election that had been scheduled for 2027.

On Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards took part in a general strike over affordable housing, wages and public services after the decrees were rejected.

The measures passed on Thursday were examined by parliament's Standing Council, a smaller body that gave the government a better chance of approval than the full 350-seat chamber.