Sydney's lord mayor says the city is experiencing a housing "crisis" with almost 400 people counted sleeping rough on the streets just days after the controversial homeless tent city in Martin Place was dismantled.
The City of Sydney's biannual street count found 386 people were sleeping rough in the inner city in the early hours of Tuesday.
Another 600 were in crisis and temporary accommodation beds, the highest number recorded since the count started in 2010.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the figures highlight the need for everyone to work together in the wake of a standoff between the council and state government over the Martin Place campsite.
It was pulled down last Friday after it grew over a period of six months.
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"Sydney is experiencing a housing affordability crisis, with property prices increasing much faster than incomes," Ms Moore said in a statement on Friday.
"There are more than 60,000 people on the state government's waiting list for social housing, with some waiting up to 10 years for a property to become available."
The City of Sydney is contributing $100,000 towards a new not-for-profit real estate agency in an attempt to increase the supply of affordable rental housing in the inner city.
"It will enable private landlords to support people seeking affordable rental housing," the council said on Friday.
