New York, New York - Protesters gathered outside the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel demanding rent relief from state politicians.

The New York State Democratic Convention took place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Midtown hotel, and is the first event from the state's Democratic Party to take place in four years.

State Democrats, including New York City mayor Eric Adams and state governor Kathy Hochul, met to discuss the party's platform and possibly nominate candidates to run for statewide office. Hilary Clinton was also scheduled to give the keynote address on Thursday.

Footage captured inside the building showed some activists interrupting Hochul's speech on Thursday afternoon with calls for her to back funding for the Excluded Workers Fund and the Good Cause Eviction bills. They were promptly escorted out.

It seemed like the perfect chance for city residents, who may feel their cries for help have been falling on deaf ears, to finally be heard.

Covid has changed nearly every facet of Americans' lives. As businesses across the country have closed down and many workers have become unemployed, sometimes indefinitely, renters are still struggling to avoid evictions – especially in high-priced NYC.

New York state had an eviction moratorium in place that protected renters from losing their homes but it expired in January, leaving tenants who still haven't received relief wondering what to do next.

The state received over $2 billion from Congress to put toward rent relief, but after quickly running through that money, the government had to request more federal funding in November.

Emily Lemmerman of the Eviction Lab at Princeton University highlighted the problem to Marketplace: "In New York State, we have the highest share of renters of any state in the nation. And we got the least rental assistance on a per-renter household basis."

Luckily, there have been a few grassroots efforts and organizations created to help tenants fight against eviction. But without the backing of state officials, thousands of New Yorkers might not get the help they need in time.

As the city moves away from pandemic regulations and back towards a sense of normalcy, there will be many New Yorkers still in need of assistance, and their voices and stories should not be ignored.