NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino gathered the homeowners Friday to share the extent of the squatter crisis to CBS New York.

"I was able to pull this group of constituents together for a live interview with less than 12 hours notice. That's how bad it's gotten," she wrote on X. "With more notice I could have brought in least a dozen more cases from my office alone. This problem is rampant, it's getting worse, and it's destroying people's faith in the city."

"The new talking point from the progressive Democrats is that the squatter crisis is overblown or even non-existent, as they push to further empower squatters and strip property rights in the state budget currently being negotiated, but this problem is all too real, and it's devastating."

One homeowner described how his case is projected to drag on for years.

"Why can't you just change the locks?" CBS' Marcia Kramer asked.

The homeowner replied, "I would be arrested instantly."

Councilwoman Paladino concluded:

"Homeowners MUST be empowered to rapidly remove squatters from their property when they are first discovered.

"And squatters MUST be taken out of civil court and brought into criminal court, to be charged with criminal trespass, forgery, and ID theft if appropriate. There must be serious consequences to these scams.

"The people have had enough. Laws must change. And if Democrats aren't interested in fixing these problems, homeowners are going to be left with no other option but to take matters into their own hands to protect their rights. We're playing with fire here."