Freddie Mac will suspend evictions of foreclosed, occupied single-family and 2-4 unit properties from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2, 2013, the government-sponsored enterprise announced Dec. 3.

Families living in foreclosed properties will be allowed to remain in their homes during this period — despite continued legal and administrative eviction proceedings. Firms handling local evictions for Freddie Mac will continue to file documentation in preparation for evictions after Jan. 2, 2013, according to the GSE.

“We are instructing our foreclosure attorneys to suspend pending eviction lockouts on foreclosed homes in order to provide a greater measure of certainty to families during the holiday season,”  Tracy Mooney, senior vice president of Servicing and REO at Freddie Mac, said in a news release.

The eviction suspension only will apply to Freddie Mac-owned homes and will not affect other pre- or post-foreclosure processes, the GSE reported.

The announcement of the holiday eviction suspension is separate from the 90-day eviction suspensions in eligible Hurricane Sandy disaster areas that will continue through February 2013.