If State Senator Michael Gianaris had it his way, he would cancel rent for residents and businesses hurt by the coronavirus crisis.

In the absence of legislative action, he’s called on Governor Cuomo for a rent freeze as tenants approach another month of rent obligations during the pandemic.

“At a time when we’re telling people to stay at home, we’re not making sure that they have a home to stay in,” said Gianaris. He also pointed out the issue stretches beyond the suffering of individual renters.

“If we want to get our communities and our city back on its feet in as smooth a way as possible once this is over, we cannot set the stage for a massive housing crisis where you’re going to have thousands of eviction proceedings all at once in the summer or fall, and foreclosures that follow from that,” he said.

Gianaris joined Mornings On 1 via Skype.