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Housing Associations have a vital role to play in bringing communities together, the National Housing Federation told delegates.

Launching guidance, the federation said it believed housing associations could promote community cohesion by responding to resident disputes early and by dispelling myths and stereotypes quickly.

Ted Cantle, chair of the government's community cohesion review team, added that housing associations should reduce choice-based lettings if they were to have a positive impact. The author of the report on the 2001 ethnic riots in northern England told delegates that "unmitigated choices are not necessarily helpful".

But Manningham Housing Association chief executive Anil Singh said choice was vital if tenants were to make links with neighbours.

Community Cohesion: in Business for Neighbourhoods from www.inbiz.org