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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The state has received $3.3 million as part of a court settlement to help with legal assistance on foreclosure cases.

The money comes after the number of foreclosures in New Mexico spiked again last year, said Albuquerque attorney Angelica Anaya Allen.

The funding, received by the State Bar of New Mexico this week, is part of a nationwide Bank of America mortgage settlement and is to be used “to provide legal assistance in foreclosure prevention and community redevelopment,” according to a news release.

A total of $490 million was granted across the country.

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A commission will review applications for the money and make a recommendation to the state Supreme Court, which will decide how to split it up among groups that help consumers facing foreclosures and those involved in community redevelopment, said State Bar General Counsel Richard Spinello.

Allen, who is doing research for the State Bar, said there “absolutely” is a need for the money to close out old foreclosure cases still lingering in the courts and to tackle new ones.

She said the state saw a 25 percent increase in foreclosure cases in 2015 to 5,098. The housing crisis that crippled the nation’s economy in 2008 caused foreclosures in New Mexico to reach about 9,000 a year between 2009 and 2012, when the number started declining.

Allen said she did not know yet why the figure rose again last year.

New Mexico is a “judicial foreclosure” state, meaning a lender must obtain a court order before selling a homeowner’s property.

“It benefits the commuity to have homeowners represented and make this a more lawful process,” she said. “A lot of communities have struggled with vacant housing.”

The cases can be complicated, though, especially when mortgage servicers change hands and different companies are involved, Allen said.

She said the number of cases closed each year in New Mexico has not kept up with the number that has been filed.

“There’s a huge backlog that needs to be addressed,” Allen said.