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Hundreds of thousands protest Spain's housing crisis after parliament rejects relief measures

As Spain struggles with one of Europe's worst housing shortages despite economic growth, a wave of demonstrations turned into a political earthquake after lawmakers blocked government tenant protections.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Madrid and about 50 other Spanish cities on Saturday, October 3, demanding affordable housing action just hours after parliament struck down the government's emergency relief package. The demonstrations, with more than 150,000 marching in Madrid alone, follow a weeks-long outcry triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her long-standing home. Demonstrators rattled keychains and chanted calls for a general strike, signaling frustration that neither major political parties nor sitting government can solve the crisis. On Friday, Spain's parliament voted down two separate decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's minority socialist coalition. The first would have halted evictions of vulnerable people and restricted short-term leases; the second would have made rental contracts automatically renew when they expire. Opposition lawmakers—the center-right Partido Popular, far-right Vox, and crucially, the Catalan separatist party Junts—rejected both measures, arguing they would reduce the housing supply and worsen affordability. The defeat exposes the fragility of Sánchez's governing coalition. Sánchez's PSOE lacks a parliamentary majority and depends on support from smaller parties like Junts to pass legislation. This loss marks the second time in recent months that his government has failed to pass a state budget. The government argues the measures are essential; critics say they would discourage landlords from renting and tighten supply further. Reports suggest Sánchez is considering calling snap elections on November 29, betting that public anger over blocked tenant protections could swing voters back to his left-wing coalition. Senior figures within his own PSOE party have urged him to capitalize on the moment. Yet the underlying crisis remains unresolved: rent in Spain has nearly doubled in a decade while new housing construction has fallen to one-sixth of pre-2008 levels. With short-term tourism rentals and investment funds further shrinking the rental pool, millions of ordinary Spaniards face a market many now describe as inaccessible.