A San Francisco-based tenants' rights group held a special meeting for renters facing foreclosure Thursday night at the Sacramento Housing Alliance.

Tenants Together said last year more than 200,000 renters were affected by foreclosure.

Of those 200,000, Tenants Together said, in Sacramento, the foreclosure crisis forced nearly 14,000 renters out of their homes, in Placer County nearly 2,000 and in San Joaquin County just over 8,000.

In fact, it’s not illegal for homeowners to rent out a home even after it goes into default.

Tenants Together said that scenario is happening with increasing frequency forcing renters to move.

“It’s a huge number. It’s a shocking number,” said Giti Dadlani, an organizer for Tenants Together.

Derek Dunbar, a Sacramento resident, had only been renting his home three months before he found out it was in default.“It’s a major hassle. I have moved a lot of times in my life, and moving is a very unpleasant experience,” Dunbar said.“

The majority of these evictions are happening illegally, and the mistreatment and harassment going on is appalling,” Dadlani said.

Dadlani said many tenants get taken advantage of because they don’t know their rights.

“I felt really lost and confused; the amount of real detailed information available out there is minimal,” Dunbar said.

Dadlani talked to Dunbar and other tenants about the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act during Thursday’s meeting.

It requires new owners to honor outstanding leases, and in most cases give at least a 90-day notice prior to eviction.

“While that federal law is really helpful, it’s kind of temporary,” Dadlani said.

Tenants Together is pushing Sacramento to adopt a “Just Cause for Eviction” ordinance that would prohibit foreclosure from being a reason for eviction.

San Francisco and 16 other cities have already adopted similar ordinances.

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