Housing Cost Inflation Research Brief

Shelter costs elevate inflation results. January’s consumer price index (CPI) was up 3.1 percent from the same month a year prior, topping the generally anticipated annual inflation level of 2.9 percent. A larger-than-expected bump in housing costs influenced the CPI results. Shelter expenses climbed 6 percent year over year, according to the report, and the pace of price growth during the month of January ticked up a hair from December’s reading. Many housing market experts immediately questioned the validity of the latest findings.