Almost 60 business leaders and community members took part in the St Vincent De Paul CEO Sleepout on Thursday night, as much of the state braced for another night of sub-zero temperatures.

"What we're doing, obviously, is not addressing the problem," St Vincent De Paul Tasmania chief executive Lara Alexander said. "Maybe Tasmania ... being a smaller area and smaller state, could actually trial some other options."

She pointed to Scandinavian countries which operated successful models and said tackling such a complex issue required measures to stop people finding themselves homeless along with services on the street.

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"Sometimes I think we treat the symptoms of homelessness instead of the causes," said St Vincent De Paul state president Mark Gaetani. "We lack a vision for homelessness in Tasmania, which means we are destined to tread water in improving the lives of Tasmania's homelessness."

He said Tasmanian governments, non-profits organisations and the community needed to adopt a "collective impact" approach, which had proved successful in a number of United States communities and serves as the foundation of the Adelaide Zero Project seeking to end street homelessness by 2020.

"The framework requires five key elements: a common agenda, a shared system of measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication between organisations, and robust infrastructure to coordinate the initiative," he added.

[Door left open for further discussion on cancelling Tasmania's $157 million housing debt]

At its heart, the sleepout was not about trying to imitate homelessness, but raise awareness, Ms Alexander added.

The money raised from the event would help provide vital services, like the food vans which handed out 13,000 meals last year, she said. As of Thursday night, the total had topped $130,000.

Donations from last year's event also helped the organisation put a new Vinnies van on the North-West streets two nights a week - in addition to two other operating in Launceston and the South.

Shane Guy, the North-West community manager, said that presence was having a big impact.

"There's been a great response in the community with volunteers - we've got a lot of volunteers on board," he said. "They've embraced the van."

"When they can go out and actually physically see how they are helping, it's quite fulfilling for them."

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