Mortgage rates finally broke a six-week streak of increases, but the decline will not provide much relief, as long-term rates dipped just below 7%.

Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 6.96%, down from last week’s reading of 7.04%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.69% a year ago.