Vulnerable homeowners face a fight to discover food and someplace dry to sleep when flood waters decline and short-term shelters shut.

Nearly 800 people have sought refuge in NSW evacuation centres however their status as pop-up homes for some will stop to exist after the effect of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred passes.

Kim Kennedy, Vinnies' local real estate and homelessness supervisor for northeast NSW, has actually been on the front lines supporting people sleeping rough in flooded zones.

Her job was made harder on Monday due to harm to Fred's Place, the Tweed Heads drop-in centre where she is based, with constant rains flooding the space.

On any given day, the centre serves about 130 hot meals to those in need but showers and laundry facilities run out commission up until the flood damage is fixed.

"It has actually been a horrendous time for the homeless community," Ms Kennedy told AAP.

"It has been really challenging attempting to get them any type of shelter."

She said the homeless were searching for any dry places they might sleep throughout a northern NSW area currently dealing with an alarming lack of budget friendly housing.

"We've been assisting an entire household sleeping in their car," Ms Kennedy stated.

"Seeing them in this horrendous weather is truly horrible."

The Byron Shire city government area, south of Tweed Heads, had the most rough sleepers of any council area in the state, according to a 2024 federal government street count.

"We absolutely do have a housing problem in the Northern Rivers and we need options," Ms Kennedy said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns stated evacuation centres established in schools, universities, fitness centers and clubs might not work as a long-term fix to established real estate problems in the area.

"I am totally knowledgeable about the considerable difficulties for housing in the Northern Rivers, but evacuation centres are not permanent services ... we don't have the resources, the staffing, the time, the allowance," he said.

The centres would close in all locations once regional emergency situation orders were raised, Mr Minns included.

"So I want to apologise beforehand however we have to draw a very clear and understood line."

More than 10,000 individuals were under emergency cautions in NSW on Monday morning, while 1800 people were separated by floodwaters.

About 10,000 homes and businesses were still not linked to power as heavy rain continued to fall in numerous locations.

Major flood warnings were still in location for parts of the Clarence and Richmond rivers, while clean-up operations were under way in other places.

In Pottsville, between Tweed Heads and Byron Bay, a whale carcass was among the debris that washed up after huge swells battered the shoreline for days.

Residents from 17 NSW regional government areas who had actually lost income due to the storm would be eligible for federal catastrophe relief funds for up to 13 weeks, it was revealed on Monday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated the monetary would be backed by mental health services for affected areas.

"We've got your back, that's my message to neighborhoods here," he stated from Lismore on Monday.

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