What to know about Spain's housing protests sparked by the eviction of the 87-year-old Maricarmen

BARCELONA, Spain -- Public outrage over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman has put Spain's progressive government under immense pressure to tackle the nation's entrenched housing cost crisis.Around a thousand protestors have spent the past week camped out in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, the capital’s most popular public space, after the elderly María del Carmen Abascal was evicted from her home of seven decades in downtown Madrid on Sept. 23. The protestors say they won't leave until the government takes real steps to protect tenants.The government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who faces a national election next year, has pushed forward a package of emergency measures to respond to the housing crunch. Lawmakers plan to vote Friday on the measures in Parliament, where the Socialist-led minority coalition will need the backing of several smaller parties to get them over the line.Here is what you need to know.The housing crunch has been simmering for years in Spain, eating into household budgets and angering voters. While many countries have similar circumstances, Spain’s poorest and its young are being particularly hard hit because they can’t afford to purchase a home and are be...