More than a hundred people are beginning to wake up after spending the night sleeping rough.

LISTEN ABOVE: Lifewise CEO Moira Lawler talks to Andrew Dickens at 3 am this morning at the event 

The annual Lifewise Big Sleepout took place at Auckland's AUT last night where 135 people took part.

People braved the mid-winter cold to sleep on a sheet of cardboard to raise money for homelessness.

Lifewise chief executive Moira Lawler told Andrew Dickens last night's storm was an extra challenge, but people weathered it well.

"We had serious rain. We had thunder and lightning so this is without doubt the worst weather conditions we've ever had. Keeping it real. I think people enjoyed the challenge really."

Ms Lawler said she's please to see Labour's $60 million emergency housing policy.

But she said emergency housing shouldn't come at the expense of affordable permanent housing.

"That limits the resources available to us to put people into affordable housing. You've got to put your money somewhere and we have to be careful that we understand that the end goal is for people to be permanently housed.

"We would be concerned if that was the end of the dialogue because actually it's useful. It has its place but it won't end homelessness so our request is for people to look at models that get people into permanent housing as quickly as possible."

Ms Lawler said homelessness is a terrible waste of talent, and is a burden on society's resources.