In a HUD fair housing investigation, the party who files the complaint is referred to as the

• A. Complainant
• B. Respondent
• C. Plaintiff
• D. Applicant

Answer: (A)

The main concept being tested is the label used for the person who initiates a HUD fair housing complaint. In HUD investigations, the party who files the complaint is called the complainant. This term marks someone bringing a claim to HUD about alleged discrimination. The other party in the case is the respondent, the person or entity alleged to have engaged in discriminatory conduct. Terms like plaintiff and applicant come from different contexts—plaintiff is used in court lawsuits, and applicant refers to someone seeking approval in other processes. Therefore, the term that fits this HUD context is complainant.