Housing advocates gathered outside Housing Court in Downtown Brooklyn to call on state lawmakers to pass a ban on winter evictions.

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie was joined by housing advocates to speak on the impacts of evictions and argue that people should not be evicted in the winter months.

The group called on Albany lawmakers to pass the Winter Moratorium on Evictions Act of 2023 that was introduced by Myrie last month.

Advocates say evictions during the winter are cruel, inhumane and exacerbating the ongoing homelessness crisis in the city. They say the cold weather also poses a threat to the health, safety and life of the homelessness population.

The bill quotes the state Constitution, saying it is the state's responsibly to provide support to the needy. The bill would ban evictions from Nov. 1 to April 15.