INDIANAPOLIS — A class action lawsuit has been filed against the Indianapolis Housing Agency for a data breach last fall.

As first reported by Fox 59 News, IHA initially determined that cyberthieves had gained access to the agency’s data system and the potentially compromised personal and financial information of more than 24,000 residents.

Now, a lawsuit filed by attorneys representing a Missouri man who sought housing benefits in Indianapolis claims that number exceeds more than 200,000.

The suit also claims IHA had alerted the Maine Attorney General on September 23, 2022, eleven days before the Agency announced it first noticed the breach, that the data intrusion had occurred.

Despite multiple stories on Fox 59 News throughout the month of October, IHA officially notified its residents, past and present, of the breach January 23rd.

The suit seeks undetermined damages.

”To get compensation for time and effort that people have to go through to mitigate the damage from the data breach,” said attorney Amina Thomas, “and just more answers about what did the investigation about the data breach reveal? What kind of data points were stolen? Were these peoples’ social security numbers stolen? Was there information located on the dark web? Did IHA and their forensic team undergo an investigation to try to find that information out?”

Longtime IHA residents said they feel let down by the agency’s response to the breach.

”Actually I’m glad to hear it’s a class action lawsuit that’s been filed. The reason for that is housing seems to ignore the people that they serve, which is the poor people. They ignore us unless we get into their pockets monetarily maybe they’ll start acting a lot differently,” said Bonita Davis. “This is ridiculous. If we were out in Carmel or Avon, this would not happen.”

IHA did not return a request for comment though the agency’s Board of Commissioners has an executive session set for next Tuesday to consider pending litigation.

Mayor Joe Hogsett appoints members to that board and his office said it was monitoring the lawsuit.