87-Year-Old Evicted Tenant in Spain Can Return Home

Spain's government is moving to overhaul housing rules after images of an 87-year-old woman being hauled from her Madrid home ignited nationwide protests. Health Minister Monica Garcia said the coalition has approved a package that could halt most evictions until 2030, extend rental contracts through 2028, tighten rules on short-term and room rentals, and bar big investment funds from buying housing, reports the BBC. Meanwhile, the woman at the center of the uproar, Maricarmen Abascal, is expected to return home under a new agreement with the property owner once she is discharged from the hospital, per the AP.

"She is very happy," says her attorney, Beatriz Duro. Abascal, who has become known nationally as simply "Maricarmen," has lived in her apartment for seven decades. The new deal with her landlord caps her rent at 30% of her income, meaning she won't pay more than the $570 per month she paid previously. The protests erupted after images emerged of her being carried out of her home on a stretcher. It was not immediately clear if the proposed government measures will go far enough to appease protesters.