Citing an increase in foreclosure activity, activists plan to rally Tuesday in front of the State House before a committee hearing on legislation aimed at stopping people from losing their homes.

The Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending pointed to numbers from The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman, showing foreclosure petitions, the first step in the foreclosure process, up 68 percent in March 2015 over March 2014, the highest level since October 2012. Foreclosure deeds were up 3 percent during the first quarter, a sign that many petitions are not ending in foreclosures.

The alliance includes Action for Boston Community Development Inc., the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts, the Chinese Progressive Association, the Boston Tenants Coalition, the Mass Law Reform Institute and others. The umbrella group plans to rally at 12:15 p.m.

Bills backed by the alliance include proposals from Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain) that would require a commercial purchaser of a foreclosed home to rent it to the homeowner who was foreclosed on, until the property is sold to a new owner (S 807/H 1579) and proposals from Sen. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) and Rep. Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke) setting up a statewide division of Superior Court to deal with foreclosure-related cases in order to free up other court dockets (S 871/H 1640). The Joint Judiciary Committee, which has 48 bills on its agenda for Tuesday, is slated to meet at 1 p.m.