Lenders still evicting renters of foreclosed properties

When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started offering leases to renters of foreclosed properties, lawmakers and housing advocates hoped that other lenders would follow suit, but few have. Banks say that they are not interested in being landlords and that properties with no occupants are often easier to sell. So far this year, 30 percent of homes that received foreclosure notices were occupied by someone other than their owner, according to RealtyTrac. “A lot of states and municipalities are trying to see what they can do” to require banks to extend leases, said Marietta Rodriguez, director of national homeownership programs at NeighborWorks America, a nonprofit network of community housing groups.