On 29 September 2026, Spain's government approved two housing decrees as pressure mounted over the threatened eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen in Madrid. Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez called access to housing the country's basic problem. Juan del Val says the response needs more than party slogans.
The writer made that case during a discussion on El Hormiguero. He said voters aligned with PP and VOX, as well as PSOE and Podemos, face the same problem: many cannot afford to enter the housing market. His answer is a cross-party agreement.
Del Val also questioned why the government had split its response into two real decreto-ley measures. He criticised the presentation of action being taken against the clock in response to Maricarmen's case.
Neither decree is final policy. Congress must vote within days. Reuters and the BBC describe the parliamentary arithmetic as uncertain: the government lacks a stable majority, and Congress is fragmented.
One decree would extend the ban on evicting households in extreme vulnerability until 2030. The protection would apply when those households have no alternative accommodation. The same measure would stop large investment funds known as vulture funds from buying homes until 2028.
The stated aim is to protect households from losing their homes and slow further price rises. The package also proposes tighter controls on seasonal rentals and room rentals. It would safeguard the public housing stock, cut VAT to 4% for public and social housing, and expand that stock through Casa 47 mechanisms.
The second decree, promoted by Sumar, deals more directly with tenants. It would introduce automatic, indefinite renewal of rental contracts. Landlords could recover a property only by proving a genuine need for it. The proposal would remove uncertainty when a contract ends without a justified reason for eviction. Anadolu Agency reports that the published measure contains 20 articles and takes effect after publication in the BOE. Some rental and protection provisions are scheduled to remain in force during periods extending from 2027 to 2030.
For Del Val, the proposals mix useful ideas with excessive measures. He accepts that rules for seasonal rentals and room rentals could help. But he rejects indefinite renting and questions the dates set for the proposed extensions.
The dispute extends beyond the wording of the decrees. The Sindicato de Inquilinas and protesters camping in Sol say the package does not go far enough. They continue to press their demands.
An earlier housing report examined the wider strain on access to homes. Maricarmen's threatened eviction intensified the protests. Her case turned an individual dispute into a broader symbol of the housing crisis and increased pressure on Pedro Sánchez's coalition.
Del Val rejects the idea that any one group explains the housing problem. He says insecurity for owners and the presence of okupas do not provide a complete answer. Evictions alone cannot explain the crisis either.
In his view, the problem affects society as a whole. He does not believe it can be fixed in two days with measures assembled to keep coalition partners on board.
The government has put forward two decrees with different aims. Congress now has the decision, while tenant groups continue to demand more. The measures could protect vulnerable households and change rental rules. They do not replace a settled housing strategy.
Housing pressure reaches voters across the political spectrum. Del Val is right to call for consensus, though his opposition to indefinite renting leaves the basic policy dispute unresolved. Spain needs durable decisions, not a new short-term measure for each new case.
