Housing reform and protecting the homeless were the main reasons for a march through the city of Rochester on Thursday afternoon.
Protesters took to the streets to bring attention to what they called the housing crisis and call on local leaders to take action.
The march began at the Liberty Pole and made its way to the Cadillac Hotel, but not before stopping in a few crosswalks and blocking traffic.
Protesters chanted, "89,000, we ain’t leaving" through the streets, saying there are over 89,000 homeless people in New York state.
Sister Grace Miller with the House of Mercy was at the front of the march.
“The way the city is going now with the gentrification? It’s horrible,” she said. “What’s happening in downtown? It’s horrible.”
She talked about how that affects the homeless.
"Many of our homeless, people don’t hear this, but some of them want to commit suicide because they can’t take it anymore,” Miller said. “And we hear their cries, we hear them. And we want everyone to know what they’re doing to the homeless and those that are being put out of apartments, it’s really abominable."
Ryan Acuff is with the Citywide Tenant Union of Rochester and the Rochester Housing Coalition. He added to what Sister Grace said about gentrification.
"We can have development without displacement,” Acuff said. “We want development, we want investment in our neighborhoods and our downtown, but we want it to benefit people who have lived here."
Acuff said more regulations on eviction prevention and universal rent control need to be passed in the state. He said now is the time for people to rise up, noting that the state is considering major housing reforms. He said housing shouldn’t be just an investment but a right.
The march ended at the Cadillac Hotel, where protester Mary Brown said she doesn’t plan on giving up anytime soon.
"We want them to get the message that we're not going anywhere,” Brown said. “We are going to continue to fight. As long as there’s fight in our bodies, we’re going to continue to unite and continue to fight."