Thousands of New Yorkers are demanding that Gov. Andrew Cuomo cancel rent until the pandemic is over.

With rising unemployment numbers and the city still on pause, advocates want Gov. Cuomo to act immediately.

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"We need the governor to actually put forward an executive order to cancel rent, mortgages and utility payments," says Amanda Shapiro, a program manager with the Metropolitan Council on Housing.

Shapiro says there's a state eviction moratorium in place, but it’s not a long-term solution, especially when people's rent is 30 to 50% of their checks. Money that people are not making right now.

In Crown Heights, a group of people taking part in a citywide rent strike as the hashtag #CancelRentNow is trending on social media. Organizations like Housing for All are asking people to speak up.

Gov. Cuomo briefly addressed the issue Thursday, saying for now the moratorium stands.

"I'm not saying people shouldn't pay the rent, you should pay the rent if you can pay the rent. But if you can't pay the rent, you're not going to be evicted," says Gov. Cuomo.

Advocates want more than rent cancellation, asking the governor to help small landlords to ease stress on both sides.

"We also think there needs to be a hardship found for small landlords, nonprofit landlords, who can't take a hit," says Shapiro.