For 401(k) plans that allow hardship withdrawals, 98% of those made in 2009 were used to prevent eviction or home foreclosure, according to a new survey.

The Profit Sharing 401k Council of America surveyed plans at 931 companies with 8.6 million participants and found that nearly 100% of hardship distributions were tied to efforts to save a home. Coming in close second at 97.2% was paying for medical expenses followed by post-secondary education costs (93.5%).

In 90.2% of the plans surveyed, 401(k) loans were permitted. An average of 23.1% of participants had loans outstanding with an average loan amount of $8,760. Nearly 52% of the plans only allowed one loan at a time.