Foreclosures in Massachusetts have dropped this year compared to 2008, but that doesn’t mean that local officials aren’t concerned about the foreclosure issue.

 Yesterday, The Warren Group released a report showing that foreclosures in the first nine months have fallen just about 30 percent from last year. But lenders have initiated almost 5,000 more foreclosures so far this year than they did at the same time in 2008.

One state lawmaker is trying to slow the pace of foreclosures by creating a mediation program. Sen. Karen Spilka of Ashland filed a bill to require lenders to meet with a trained mediator and a homeowner who’s defaulted to try to negotiate and reach some type of agreement.

The program would be voluntary for homeowners but lenders would be required to notify homeowners about the option.

Connecticut has a similar mediation program, but the program is mandatory for homeowners who are in foreclosure. While Connecticut officials say the mediation program has been successful in helping borrowers keep their homes, some industry officials in Massachusetts aren’t embracing the idea.

Kevin Cuff, executive director of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association, told the Milford Daily News that the state would do better to let the 90-day right-to-cure law work. The law went into effect last year and allows homeowners who’ve missed mortgage payments 90 days to catch up.

“I’m just not quite sure from the lending community what a mediation process is going to do that’s above the 90-day right to cure or other foreclosure prevention processes that are already available,” Cuff was quoted as saying.