Paddle For Survivors pair Stuart Baker and Matt Flower have signed up for the Vinnies Community Sleepout to raise awareness and funds to support the homeless.

And they have thrown down the gauntlet for business leaders and other prominent community members to join them for a night of sleeping rough on August 27.

Mr Baker, a prominent mental health campaigner, said it was important to draw attention to the plight of our homeless.

He said every single person deserved a roof over their head.

"Not having a home impacts greatly on a person's wellbeing; so many of our homeless are battling mental health issues," Mr Baker said.

Inviting community members to sleep rough is an important symbolic way to focus attention on an escalating crisis, he added.

"It's an opportunity to walk a mile in someone else's shoes - if only for one night," Mr Baker said.

"There are people who don't have food or a roof over their heads tonight and as a community we should not allow that to be happening."

St Vincent de Paul Society's Shantelle Lidden, who is co-ordinating the event, is calling for more local identities to sign up for the sleepout.

The event will kick off from 6pm at the Nagle Centre in Dempsey Place where participants will receive soup and bread rolls for dinner, a sleeping bag, beanie and cardboard to sleep on.

The sleepout will adhere to COVID-safe guidelines and all money raised will go back to the local community.

Ms Lidden, support co-ordinator for the Social and Affordable Housing Fund, said the homelessness crisis was "the worst we've seen".

"Because of COVID-19, people aren't moving and the availability of properties is just not there," she said.

With 56 social housing properties at two sites in Albury, Ms Lidden said her organisation was at capacity with an extensive waiting list.

"We could fill our properties 3 times over and we're just one provider," she said.

Ms Lidden works to provide wrap-around supports to tenants to help build their capacity and skills to transition to private rental or home ownership.

But they face enormous challenges with the shortage of affordable housing coupled with unemployment and mental health barriers.

Ms Lidden estimates in 80 to 85 per cent of tenants, mental health is a contributing factor to their situation.

"It all ties in - how can you focus on getting a job or getting the help you need if you don't have a secure base?"

The sleepout plays an important role in raising community awareness, according to Ms Lidden.

"We only have to do it for one night but for so many that's their reality every single day," she said.