Fannie Mae said on Monday it will allow tenants to remain in their homes and avoid eviction even if the building’s landlord goes into foreclosure.

Fannie Mae, the government-controlled U.S. mortgage finance company, said it now plans to sign new leases with rent-paying tenants living in the up to 4,000 single- and multi-family foreclosed dwellings owned by the company.

The leases are likely to be short-term as Fannie Mae continues to market the properties for sale, according to Brian Faith, Fannie Mae spokesman.

Foreclosures are at an all-time high and many economists, as well as the Mortgage Bankers Association, expect them to mount along with unemployment.

The company previously said it would not evict tenants during the year-end holiday season.

The company’s tenant eviction and foreclosure sale suspension is in place until January 9. It estimates 7,000 to 10,000 families have been able to stay in their homes because of this policy.

Freddie Mac, the second largest U.S. home funding company that also came under government control in September, is working on similar options that it expects to start rolling out in January, according to company spokesman Brad German.

We will see just how successful this will be or if they decide to say screw the homeowner, banks first.