Spanish government unveils new measures aimed at easing housing crisis

The government has been facing growing pressure from a housing protest movement amid high costs and public outcry over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman.

The Spanish government on Tuesday approved two new decrees aimed at tackling the country's housing crisis.

Measures included in the decrees range from stronger protection against evictions and limits on speculative purchases to tax incentives, as well as new rules for renting and zero-interest financing to help people buy their first home.

The move comes at a time of growing public pressure over soaring housing costs and mounting difficulties for people looking both to rent and buy.

Spain's Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, has described housing as "the main problem facing Spaniards" and presented the measures as a broad response to a crisis she sees as particularly "complex."

The agreement is split into two separate decrees.

The first contains most of the measures and is focused on four main areas: protecting tenants from evictions, curbing speculation, tackling abuses in the rental market and making homes more affordable.

The second is aimed at giving tenants more stability and security in their rental contracts.

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