Below ground level
Your tenement may have a basement, sometimes used for living accommodation or sometimes used for storage, cellars or wash-houses. These buildings will often also have a 'dunny' between the basement…
About us
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).
Meet the team
Mike Heffron
Chief Executive Officer
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
Education and Training Officer (Maternity Cover)
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.
Jacqueline Omoniyi
Education and Training Officer
Jacqueline Omoniyi joined Under One Roof in May 2022. Jacqueline is an experienced property professional, having worked in the private rented sector for 20 years, and latterly ran her own successful letting agency. Jacqueline’s primary role as Education and Training Officer is to provide help, information, and support to tenement flat owners, landlords, and housing professionals across Scotland in all matters relating to tenement maintenance and repair management. Jacqueline hosts public events for owner-occupiers and landlords across Scotland with Under One Roof’s local authority partners, and regularly writes and delivers training courses for local authority and private factor staff teams.
Anny Bush
Communications and Engagement Officer
Anny Bush joined the team in 2023, having graduated the previous year from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Arts in Social Anthropology with Development. Anny is responsible for the running of Under One Roof’s social media channels, the newsletter, and the website, as well as helping with the organisation and promotion of events.
