Through its Office of University Partnerships, HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research supports the research efforts of college and university students and faculty. The department recognizes that good research and analysis is the foundation to meaningful community outreach. This edited monograph highlights the benefits to be derived from engaged, community-based research. The articles included describe the application of the scholarly principles of analysis, data collection, and interpretation to the real problems of housing and urban development confronting our communities. The unifying theme throughout this collection is how much communities and universities can achieve by working together in research partnerships. Such research has had both immediate and long-term impacts on the state of the nation's housing and community development programs.