A tenants advocacy coalition on Monday pushed the top leaders in the state Senate and Assembly to take up a measure that would cancel rent in New York amid the ongoing economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The group Housing Justice for All flew planes with banners urging Speaker Carl Heastie in the Assembly and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to take up the bill in their chamber over beaches in the Bronx and Westchester County. 

The effort represented an effort toward nudging the Legislature on the rent cancelation push. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year placed a moratorium on evictions for both residential and commercial tenants for the duration of the crisis. But the concern is what happens to renters when the crisis ends and the money is due. 

Advocates esimtate 1.4 million renters in New York are behind on their payments. They contend the moratoriums won't solve the long-term problem and could create serious debt problems in the near future.