Street-sleeping numbers soar as housing crisis worsens

Officials found 2037 sleeping on the streets during the February headcount, up from 1623 a year earlier.

Some of the largest increases were in coastal areas, including a near-80 per cent rise in rough-sleepers in the Coffs Harbour council region.

Byron Shire, a popular tourist region in the state's north, had the most people sleeping rough of any local government area in the state.

It and other ocean-side regions, such as Sydney's northern beaches, have become home to large camps of homeless people sleeping in tents amid a dire shortage of affordable accommodation.

Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said the regional figures were unprecedented but not unexpected.

"We don't just need data to tell us this - our regional communities are feeling this every day," she said on Friday.

"The sobering street count figures again paint a harrowing picture of homelessness and street sleeping across our state."

Ms Jackson said the government was looking at every option to tackle the housing crisis, including through a review of short-term accommodation rules.

Tighter restrictions have already been introduced in Byron Shire, where a 60-day annual cap on non-hosted short-term rentals applies.

A short-term rental booking surcharge that could be used to fund crisis accommodation is among the measures being considered.

Of the people found in the latest street count, 64 per cent were staying in vehicles, 18 per cent were in open spaces and 10 per cent were in makeshift dwellings.

Another 241 sites were found with evidence of homelessness, such as sleeping bags and personal belongings, but with no person present.