The NSW government is putting up $36 million to secure homes from the private rental market for hundreds of rough sleepers and to provide them with access to services.

NSW Communities Minister Gareth Ward said the project was designed to help people rebuild their lives and get off the streets for good.

"Throughout the COVID-19 response we've worked hard to keep rough sleepers safe. Now we're working to get them into homes with the support they need to rebuild their lives," Mr Ward said in a statement on Monday.

"The response will be intensive and pack many months of work into just weeks as we strive to transition people from temporary accommodation into secure housing."

Some 1200 rough sleepers across NSW had by mid-May been helped into temporary accommodation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NSW government will work with community housing providers and specialist homeless and health services to ensure people can be assisted with tenancy, health, wellbeing and employment.

Homelessness NSW chief executive Katherine McKernan said getting people into housing was critical in providing stability, while drug and alcohol services and mental health support are important to ensure people sustain their tenancies.

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Australian Associated Press