U.S. home prices continued to decline in November even as the economy was gaining steam, showing the most-battered housing market was still struggling.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index dropped 1.3 percent in November, compared with October, said the Standard & Poor's monthly report released on Tuesday. The index was down 3.7 percent year on year.

"Despite continued low interest rates and better real GDP growth in the fourth quarter, home prices continue to fall," David Blitzer, chairman of the S&P index committee, said in a statement. "The trend is down and there are few, if any, signs in the numbers that a turning point is close at hand."

The index had climbed for five consecutive months from April to August this year, but declined from September to November.

Analysts said the report underscored the Federal Reserve's view that housing "remains depressed" as another wave of foreclosures threatens to keep the pressure on prices and delay recovery in the industry.