Some 148 families in Neiva, Huila, are celebrating the legalization of their properties in the El Pinal neighborhood, a process that spanned several months and transforms the informal settlement into an official neighborhood within the city's urban perimeter.
The urban legalization process for the El Pinal neighborhood in Neiva began on September 26, 2025, with an initial community meeting. During this session, the procedure was socialized, required documents were explained, expected benefits were outlined, and the topographic survey plan was approved by the residents.
Between May 13 and 14, 2025, a characterization census of the families was conducted. On October 24 of that year, the formal initiation act was signed, in the presence of María Constanza Trujillo Yara, president of the neighborhood's Community Action Board. On the same date, Resolution 0067 of 2025 was issued, declaring the process feasible and starting the legalization of the informal El Pinal settlement in the municipality of Neiva, Huila.
On November 18, diagnostic plans were presented to the community, and the urban proposal was accepted. Finally, on December 17, 2025, Resolution 0109 was issued, legalizing the El Pinal neighborhood in Neiva's northeastern expansion zone, approving the urban legalization plan, and establishing other provisions.
With this recent completion, the settlement becomes a legalized neighborhood. Marwin Victoria, Secretary of Housing and Habitat, stated: “We are very happy today to accompany the El Pinal community in this important legalization process and to transform this settlement into a new neighborhood; today we are celebrating that El Pinal enters the urban perimeter of the city of Neiva”.
María Constanza Trujillo Yara, the neighborhood president, shared her joy: “I am very happy because it is something we had been longing for more than 25 years, to be legalized; many benefits are coming to us such as deed registration, access to credits, development of roads, public services; the most important was the will of the Municipal Administration, the Mayor fulfilled his promise to us”.
This progress brings opportunities like property titling, access to financing, and infrastructure improvements for the 148 benefited families.
