Despite a shaky national economy, new statistics show Dorchester and Mattapan homeowners saw a significant drop in foreclosures in the past year, with more homeowners holding on to their property across the state.

According to a report filed by the Warren Group, a private financial firm that studies Massachusetts housing data, lenders began half as many eviction proceedings between January 2011 and November 2011 compared to the same time period last year, while the number of completed foreclosures also saw a noticeable decline. Housing activists welcome the slowdown in foreclosures, but many fear the break may only be temporary.

Based on the Warren Group’s report, foreclosure petitions - which indicate the beginning of an eviction - dropped nearly 60 percent from 555 to 227 in Dorchester and dropped about 52 percent from 132 to 65 in Mattapan between 2010 and 2011.  

Additionally, foreclose deeds - which signify a completed eviction - fell nearly 52 percent from 390 to 188 in Dorchester and saw a smaller decline of about 34 percent from 65 to 43 deeds filed for Mattapan homes. Statewide, 11,625 petitions were filed in 2011, down considerably from last year’s 23,200 petitions.

Greater Four Corners Action Coalition executive director Marvin Martin said that because loans were issued by banks to homeowners in a cyclical pattern, the foreclosure rate could see another increase as early as the spring.

“From what we’ve been able to gather, there are a whole bunch of other loans that are about to come due and we’re not the only ones. The state is expecting the same thing,” Marvin said. “Another round is coming.”

In order to combat the projected rise in foreclosures, the Four Corners organization has launched a small pilot program with financial backing from the city to help educate homeowners at risk of losing their mortgages. The initiative offers them legal and financial advice in hopes of staunching the flow of vacant homes throughout the Four Corners area.

Tom Callahan, executive director of the Dorchester-based Massachusetts Affordable Housing Association, sees a “strong possibility” that a resurgence of foreclosures will hit city neighborhoods this year. The past 11 months have seen decreased numbers largely because banks have slowed down their internal foreclosure processes to avoid flooding the housing market with inexpensive homes, Callahan says.

“To some extent, [banks have] listened to concerns from municipal officials and community groups that you can’t just dump a ton of foreclosed property on one neighborhood at the same time,” Callahan said. “It would have a really negative effect on [property] values across that neighborhood and maybe even cause more foreclosures as property values drop.”

While the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better, this is not the worst foreclosure crisis Boston has faced in recent memory. According to the city of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), there were 1,672 foreclosure deeds were filed in 1992 - slightly double than the 821 deeds filed in 2010. 

DND chief Evelyn Friedman said city programs meant to track, maintain, and —in about 54 cases— purchase and resell foreclosed properties have prevented Boston from losing more homes to bank foreclosure. 

“I think locally we are doing a lot to address [foreclosures] and we were much more prepared to handle it now compared to the nineties,” Friedman said.

Currently, the city’s Inspectional Service Department maintains a list of vacant homes and charges the mortgage holding bank a filing fee meant to cover basic maintenance costs to ensure the empty properties do not put neighboring homeowners property values at risk. The city also charges banks $200 a day for failing to report a foreclosure.

Although Friedman said Boston’s housing market has been able to withstand the current mortgage crisis relatively well compared to harder-hit cities like Detroit and Cleveland, her department will have its work cut out for it for the duration of the ongoing recession.

“The city is pushing really hard to get these properties, on the tax rolls and occupied again,” Friedman said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet and I don’t think we’ll be out until we see the national economy turn around.”