And other public tenants who own investment properties or other assets will be forced to come clean as the ACT government cracks down on middle-class occupants of public housing.

The moves are the culmination of a process that began five years ago when cabinet decided that public housing should be reserved for those ''most in need'' but some in the community housing sector have expressed doubts over the looming crackdown.

According to documents from the office of Housing Minister Joy Burch, a ''multi-disciplinary panel'' has begun examining cases of middle- to high-income earners living in public housing.

The first batch of eight cases includes households earning between $165,000 and $230,000 and looks likely to result in tenants being given six months to pack their bags and make alternative arrangements under ''26-week, no cause eviction notices''.

Research undertaken early this year by Housing ACT of its tenants paying full market rent found 208 tenants in public housing were on household incomes of more than $80,000, including 43 tenants who declared income of more than $100,000.

The majority of the middle-class public tenants were aged between 40 and 70 years old and had been in their tenancies for more than 10 years.

But a couple earning more than a combined $40,800 before tax would be refused social housing if they applied today, on the grounds that they earned too much.

There are 1869 Canberra families waiting to get into the public housing system, with a standard, non-priority application taking nearly 18 months.

Ms Burch told The Canberra Times that she wanted to see public housing targeted at people at the very bottom of Canberra's difficult housing market.

''The ACT government has had a long-standing view that public housing is to accommodate those most in need, in particular those experiencing or at risk of homelessness,'' Ms Burch said.

''It is difficult to support a situation where tenants in public housing are in a position to buy a home or comfortably rent in the private market, while we have families and individuals on very low incomes who are waiting for accommodation.''

Ms Burch said it was ''reasonable'' to ask tenants to declare their assets.

''This is already a requirement when applying for public housing and extending this to existing tenants is a reasonable step to take.''

But ACT Shelter executive officer Leigh Watson said the situation was more complex than simply evicting tenants on middle and high incomes.

''It is understandable that the ACT government is looking at ways of freeing up housing stock but for the 1869 on the public housing waiting list, the answer is not in moving out tenants who are earning above the stipulated $80,000,'' Ms Watson said.

''The issue is far more complex.''