Just hours before Francisca López Ruiz, known as Paquita, was due to be evicted from her home in Madrid’s La Latina district, a judge suspended the eviction, citing the city council’s failure to provide a required social report. The 82-year-old, who has advanced Parkinson’s and is classified as fully dependent, faced losing the home where she has lived for nearly three decades. The decision followed a wave of support outside her building, where neighbors and local associations gathered alongside housing rights groups to protest.
The demonstration went ahead despite the postponement. Residents and activists filled narrow Santa Ana Street, joined by representatives of various organizations, holding banners and photos of Paquita. Slogans such as “No more evictions” and “Paquita stays” echoed for over an hour. Visibly moved, Paquita greeted supporters from her balcony before joining them on the street. Neighbors embraced her, including 96-year-old Matilde Menéndez and Alejandro Ibáñez, another elderly resident facing possible displacement due to municipal renovation plans.
The case has become emblematic of mounting housing pressures in central Madrid, where local associations report a sharp rise in tourist apartments. The neighborhood group La Chispera says at least 21 units in Paquita’s building are now used for short-term rentals. Paquita has watched long-term residents gradually leave, replaced by transient visitors. She claims her eviction is linked to plans to convert her flat into another tourist rental. Citywide figures provide broader context: Madrid had 13,431 tourist dwellings in May 2026, down from 22,435 in August 2024, a decline of about 40%. Inma Sanz, Madrid’s deputy mayor and municipal spokesperson, said the city council’s plans to curb tourist apartments were working. These figures concern the city as a whole, not Paquita’s building.
Data from the National Statistics Institute, as cited in Madrid reporting, put tourist accommodation at 5.9% of the residential stock in the Centro district, or 5,098 dwellings. La Latina is within Centro, but the district-wide measure does not specify the number of tourist units on Santa Ana Street or in Paquita’s building. Separately, the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 said it had ordered two accommodation platforms to remove 8,318 listings advertised as seasonal rentals that permitted stays of fewer than 31 days. Of those listings, 6,523 were in Madrid city. The ministry said seasonal contracts should exceed 31 days and identify a genuine temporary reason, such as work or study, with medical treatment also qualifying. That action concerns platform listings and is separate from Paquita’s tenancy.
The legal process began after the original property owner died in 2023. The heirs, acting through the company Tolesanta SL, informed Paquita that her lease would not be renewed and that she must vacate the premises. She has paid rent consistently for 28 years. It is currently set at €1,150 per month, and she withheld payment only this month, on her lawyer’s advice during the ongoing legal dispute. The court’s suspension now depends on the city council providing a detailed social assessment of her situation before any further action is taken.
City officials argue that Paquita’s household does not meet the criteria for economic vulnerability and say alternative housing options have been offered but declined. The municipal social emergency team, Samur Social, was prepared to assess the case on the day of the eviction, but the court’s decision made its intervention unnecessary. The situation has drawn attention to broader concerns about the displacement of elderly and vulnerable residents in historic neighborhoods. At the protest, a recurring message captured that concern: “Today it’s Paquita, tomorrow it could be anyone.”
Although the immediate threat of eviction has been averted, uncertainty remains. The court has set a deadline for the city council to submit the required social report, after which the next steps will be determined. Many in the community recall similar cases in which temporary suspensions ultimately led to evictions weeks or months later. The demonstration, initially organized to block a single eviction, grew into a wider call to defend the right to remain in the neighborhood amid ongoing changes.
Pressure on Madrid’s rental market also shows up in listing data. Idealista figures cited in recent reporting show that the supply of permanent rentals fell 10% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, while seasonal rentals made up 34% of rental advertisements, up 7% from a year earlier. These figures describe online listings rather than the full housing stock. The city’s assessed value of free-market housing rose 16.1% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, while sales of such homes in the capital fell 13.1% on an annualized basis. These indicators describe market-wide conditions and do not establish the ownership history or intended future use of Paquita’s apartment.
Events in La Latina reflect a broader trend in Spanish cities, where rising property values and the spread of tourist rentals have put pressure on long-term tenants, especially the elderly and those with health issues. Spain’s legal structure for evictions requires authorities to assess vulnerability and, where necessary, propose alternatives, but implementation often lags behind. The case also highlights how community mobilization can influence outcomes, as seen in other recent disputes over housing and social policy. Regional governments are also grappling with budgetary and social challenges. One example is the Generalitat’s recent launch of its 2027 budget process, covered in this report on Catalonia’s fiscal planning.
Paquita’s situation brings together concerns about aging and health, alongside housing insecurity in urban Spain. Her case is awaiting further review and remains a focal point in debates over the future of Madrid’s historic neighborhoods and the rights of their most vulnerable residents.
