A group representing owners of leaky homes says the recession is adding to their misery and leading to increased instances of serious depression.
Stop Leaky Buildings Group spokesperson Bill Duval says he is aware of about 100 people suffering from depression as a result of owning a leaky home, and the social cost of the problem is growing.
He says that due to the recession, when money is tight and jobs aren't safe, people cannot afford to fix leaky homes.
Mr Duval wants the government to subsidise the cost of repairs, to ease the stress on owners.
Building surveyor and weather-tightness expert Kevin Longman says the recession means fewer owners are able to carry out repairs, but the costs involved are justified.
The accountancy firm PriceWaterhouse Coopers is preparing a report for the Government on leaky homes, currently thought to involve at least 22,000 properties.
