Under One Roof is Scotland’s only charity dedicated to providing free and impartial information to the more than half a million tenement flat owners, and housing professionals, on issues related to tenement maintenance, common repair management, and retrofit.
Tenement buildings in Scotland require care and attention to ensure that they stay standing strong into the future. We seek to promote the sustainability and preservation of these buildings, support and guide owners on how they can look after them, and work with local and national government, and housing professionals, to make the process easier and more affordable.
The origins of the Under One Roof charity was a website that expanded on The Tenement Handbook : A Practical Guide to Living in a Tenement by John Gilbert and Ann Flint, produced by ASSIST Architects Ltd and published by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) in 1993.
In 2016, the handbook was digitised and expanded; it was initially published and hosted by RIAS during the Festival of Architecture 2016 as part of the Scottish Government’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.
In October 2017, the Under One Roof project moved under the umbrella of the housing organisation Changeworks.
In September 2020, Under One Roof registered as a separate Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).
Mike Heffron was the first employee hired by the Under One Roof Board following its founding as a charity in 2020. He is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation as well as finance, fundraising, and team leadership. Mike, who previously worked as the Operations Manager of the Scottish charity Clan Childlaw and the Postgraduate Students’ Association of Australian National University, moved from his home in the United States to attend Edinburgh Napier University in 2004, where he graduated with a Masters in Journalism.
Stephen Kelly joined Under One Roof in March 2024, bringing 45 years of housing experience across public and private sectors, with over 20 years in a managerial position, to the role. Stephen previously worked with Care and Repair projects across Scotland, supporting owners and private tenants in maintaining independent living through home repair and improvement projects, as well as facilitating necessary adaptations.
Stephen’s primary prole as Education and Training Officer involves providing support and information to tenement flat owner-occupiers, landlords, and housing professionals in Scotland on various aspects of tenement maintenance and repair management. He organises and presents at public events for owner-occupiers and landlords, often in collaboration with Under One Roof’s local authority partners, and writes and delivers training courses for local authority housing teams and private factor staff.
Katharina Bandmann joined us in March 2026. She has as an MSc in Housing Studies from Stirling University, and is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Housing. She has a range of experience working in the social and private rented housing sectors, as well as having worked in other information and advice provision roles. Most recently she coordinated the first Community Led Housing Alliance in Scotland. Â
Katharina is delighted to be joining Under One Roof to help provide information and support to owner-occupiers, landlords and housing professionals in Scotland on various aspects of tenement maintenance and shared repairs management. She is committed to ensuring everyone has a common understanding of their rights and responsibilities within tenement buildings, to ensure safe and secure housing where individuals and communities can live well and thrive.Â
Rebecca Ferguson-Grant joined Under One Roof in November 2024. Rebecca has 9 years of experience in the charity sector in Scotland and England, working primarily in communications, events planning and membership engagement roles. Rebecca’s role as Communications and Engagement Officer is to promote the work of Under One Roof through social media, events and the newsletter, ensuring that every tenement owner, landlord and local authority in Scotland knows about our information, advice and events.
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