A large family in the capital was evicted from their home this Wednesday despite the United Nations requesting a halt to the eviction. Dulce, mother of five minors —one of whom has Down syndrome— is left on the street.
The social services of the Madrid City Council accompanied Dulce, an Ecuadorian woman, and her five children —aged between 4 and 16, one of whom has Down syndrome— during the eviction from their home located in the Usera district. The judicial commission carried out the eviction despite the UN, through its special rapporteur for adequate housing, urging the Spanish Government to halt the eviction order.
A housing crisis that ignores international mediation
Dulce's case has highlighted the cracks in the protection system for vulnerable families in the Community of Madrid. The woman had been alerting about her situation for months: without a stable income and with five children to care for, she could not afford the rent of the home she had lived in for several years. The landlord initiated judicial proceedings for non-payment, and the First Instance Court number 44 of Madrid issued the eviction.
The UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, sent a communication to the Spanish Government last June requesting the suspension of the eviction, arguing that the family was in a state of extreme vulnerability. In his letter, the rapporteur reminded that Spain has international obligations regarding human rights and that the eviction of a family with minors —especially one with a disabled child— should be the last resort.
However, the response from the central government did not arrive in time. Sources from the Ministry of Housing have stated that they were studying the case and had contacted the Madrid City Council to seek an alternative solution, but the judicial process was already in its final phase. "We could not stop it," acknowledged the department led by Isabel Rodríguez.
The last-minute intervention of the Madrid City Council
The Madrid City Council, governed by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has activated the social emergency protocol. Once the eviction was executed, municipal social services offered Dulce and her children temporary accommodation in a resource from the network for homeless families. According to the delegate for Social Policies, Family and Equality, María Ángeles Prieto, "everything possible was done to avoid the eviction, but the judicial decision was firm. Now we focus on ensuring that this family has a roof and the necessary support."
The municipal government spokesperson added that the City Council had offered mediation with the landlord to renegotiate the debt, but the owner of the flat refused to accept any agreement. "It is a very tough situation, but the City Council will continue to work to ensure that no family with minors is left on the street," Prieto stated.
Residents of Usera gathered outside the building to show their support for the family. María José, one of the neighbours, stated: "It is a disgrace that a mother with five children, one of whom has Down syndrome, ends up on the street. We have asked the City Council to provide them with social housing, but they have ignored us." The Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) has also denounced the eviction and has called for a protest in the coming days in front of the City Council.
A structural problem affecting thousands of families in the region
Dulce's case is not isolated. According to data from the General Council of the Judiciary, more than 4,000 evictions were executed in the Community of Madrid during the first half of 2026, a figure that represents a 12% increase compared to the same period the previous year. Experts point out that rising rents and job instability are behind this increase.
The Law for the Right to Housing, approved by the central government in 2023, establishes mechanisms to prevent evictions in cases of vulnerability, such as the obligation for large landlords to offer social rent before initiating proceedings. However, in this case, the landlord was a small private investor, which complicates the application of the law. "The law has loopholes and does not protect families when the landlord is a private individual," criticized Laura Sánchez, a lawyer for PAH.
From the Community of Madrid, the housing councillor, Jorge Rodrigo, defended his department's management and assured that "the priority is that no one is left without a roof. We are working on an emergency plan to increase the public housing stock." However, consumer associations and tenant unions consider the measures taken so far to be insufficient.
What will happen now with Dulce and her children?
The family has been moved to a municipal shelter in the Carabanchel district, where they will stay for at least the next few weeks. Social services will assess their situation and try to find a stable solution, either through housing from the Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS) or through rental assistance. Dulce has expressed her gratitude to the neighbours and organisations that have supported her, but also her frustration at not having been able to prevent the eviction. "I fought until the end, but it was of no use. Now I just want my children to be okay," she declared in tears.
The Ombudsman has announced that it will open an investigation to determine whether the family's rights were violated and whether the administrations acted with due diligence. Meanwhile, the UN has reiterated its call for the Spanish government to strengthen protection mechanisms against evictions of vulnerable families.
For the residents of Usera and for the entire Community of Madrid, Dulce's case is a reminder that the housing crisis continues to hit hard on the most disadvantaged families. And that sometimes, even UN mediation is not enough to stop an eviction order.
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