Spain’s government approves new urgent housing measures after unrest in Barcelona

MADRID — Spain’s government on Tuesday approved urgent measures on the country’s housing crisis, after an outbreak of violence the night before in the coastal city of Barcelona saw tens of thousands taking to the streets.

The Barcelona turmoil late on Monday followed protests across the country over the weekend that demanded measures to resolve a crisis sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, the country’s capital.

In Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, a severe weather alert over the weekend had forced organizers to reschedule the protest for Monday. What began as a massive peaceful march turned violent when groups of hundreds of hardcore activists clashed with police, throwing stones and setting fire to trash containers.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government approved measures similar to those rejected by Parliament last Friday, which prompted his call for early elections on Nov. 29. The measures will be sent for ratification by an interim legislature, which remains active until the elections.

The smaller, interim legislature — known as “permanent commission” — is composed of 69 members, compared to the 350 that sit in the regular Parliament.

Alejandro Quiroga, professor of political science at Madrid’s Complutense University, told The Associated Press that the maneuver of having decrees approved by the interim legislature was constitutional but also a necessary politically move by Sánchez.

“I don’t think Sánchez had an alternative,” Quiroga said. “If you are calling early elections so you can keep the public’s focus on housing, you can’t just sit back and do nothing about it. That wouldn’t have been smart.”

The new measures are to extend protection against evictions for vulnerable Spaniards until 2030, regulate room rentals, impose a new tax on seasonal rentals, ban speculative real estate purchases and give tax breaks to landlords, Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez told reporters last week.

Rising costs and a housing shortage are pricing many Spaniards out of the housing market, despite strong economic growth in Europe’s fourth-largest economy. The protesters have been demanding stronger protections for tenants, measures to combat fraud and a ban on evictions when alternative housing is unavailable.