Housing or shelter costs make up a large part of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), accounting for 32% of headline CPI. The Federal Reserve's more favorable price index, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), weights housing at 15%.
Rising housing costs, including rent and mortgage payments, are expected to rise through 2011 adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to increase rates to manage rising inflation expectations.
Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2011
Housing Bubble Continues to Haunt Fed
