The U.S. Federal Reserve feels a great sense of urgency in getting the housing market back on its feet, a top central bank official said on Thursday.

A healthy housing sector is critical both to the overall economy and to a sustainable economic recovery, Sandra Pianalto, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland told a conference on neighborhood stabilization strategies.

She did not address the outlook for monetary policy in remarks prepared for delivery.

(Reporting by Kristina Cooke; Editing by James Dalgleish)