'Horrendous': Shelter Closures Pour On Housing Pain

Vulnerable locals face a battle to find food and somewhere dry to sleep when flood waters decline and temporary shelters shut.

Nearly 800 individuals have actually sought sanctuary in NSW evacuation centres but their status as pop-up homes for some will disappear after the impact of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred passes.

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

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

On any given day, the centre serves about 130 hot meals to those in requirement however showers and laundry centers are out of commission until the flood damage is fixed.

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

"It has actually been truly difficult attempting to get them any type of shelter."

She said the homeless were looking for any dry locations they could sleep across a northern NSW area already dealing with an alarming lack of budget-friendly housing.

"We've been assisting a whole family sleeping in their automobile," Ms Kennedy stated.

"Seeing them in this horrendous weather condition 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 government street count.

"We definitely do have a housing issue in the Northern Rivers and we require options," Ms Kennedy said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said evacuation centres established in schools, universities, fitness centers and clubs might not function as a long-lasting repair to established housing problems in the area.

"I am completely mindful of the substantial difficulties for real estate in the Northern Rivers, but evacuation centres are not permanent options ... we do not have the resources, the staffing, the time, the allowance," he said.

The centres would close in all areas once local emergency orders were raised, Mr Minns added.

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

More than 10,000 people were under emergency situation warnings in NSW on Monday morning, while 1800 people were isolated by floodwaters.

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

Major flood cautions 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 particles that cleaned up after huge swells damaged the coastline for days.

Residents from 17 NSW city government locations who had actually lost earnings due to the storm would be qualified for federal disaster relief funds for approximately 13 weeks, it was revealed on Monday.