Daisy Halford’s journey with Rooftop Housing shows how residents can play a real and meaningful role in shaping services and decisions.
Daisy became a Rooftop resident after a difficult experience with another housing association. Wanting to help make things better, she took her first step by joining the Resident Excellence Panel (REP, now known as Customer Scrutiny Panel) after a visit from her Neighbourhood Housing Officer. Watching the Grenfell tragedy was a turning point for her. “I wanted to be part of the change; I wanted to make a positive change for my community, at a local and then national level.”
Through the REP, Daisy built strong relationships with Rooftop colleagues and gained confidence, knowledge and new skills. She worked with other residents to make recommendations that were later adopted across the organisation. This experience helped prepare her for joining the Boards of Rooftop Housing Group and Rooftop Housing Association in 2020, and in January 2025 she became Chair of Rooftop Housing Association.
At Board and committee level, she has helped ensure resident voices influence decisions, from policy reviews to residents sitting on interview panels. “At Board we make sure that we’re thinking about what is best for our residents. We have homes, not units,” Daisy said.
Daisy is also active in her local community, and has supported projects such as creating a local park. Alongside her Board role, she balances family life and managing long-term health conditions, with strong support from Rooftop colleagues. Daisy emphasises that disability should never be seen as a barrier to getting involved. With the right support and understanding, residents with disabilities can bring valuable experience and insight to Board discussions.
For Daisy, resident representation is essential. “We are making decisions for residents, so we need to make sure their voices are heard at the top,” she said. Her advice to residents is simple: start by getting involved in resident groups to build understanding, confidence and experience.
Rooftop encourages residents to consider governance and Board roles and help shape the future of your homes and communities.
Click here to apply today and help us build safe, thriving communities together!
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