Poll Results: Assessing the Fed’s Policies

In last month’s poll, Multi-Housing News asked readers their assessment of the Federal Reserve’s actions, gauging the popularity of the central bank’s 500-plus basis point rate increases over the past 18 months. The current funds rate sits at 5.25 to 5.54 percent, while the consumer price index is at 3.2 percent.

A combined 66 percent of respondents agreed that the policies have been successful in reducing inflation, which has come down nearly threefold since its 40-year high in July 2022. Those numbers are divided between 33 percent who think that Fed policy has not been aggressive enough in combatting inflation, while the other 33 percent believe regulators should be wary of future rate hikes. Chair Jerome Powell did not rule out the possibility of another increase before the year’s end.

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The final third of respondents believe that the Fed’s actions have been unsuccessful and their policies around reducing inflation inconsistent, with some predicting that they could plunge the nation into the very recession that the Fed seeks to avoid. Additionally, the economy faces larger problems than inflation, with uncertainties stemming from domestic and international political strife. While rates have increased, the multifamily transaction market is in the gutter, while property values have slumped nationwide.

Click here to see MHN’s latest poll and the results of previous surveys.