5,495 Families Receive Land Titles

October 28, 2015

In August the Honduran Government handed out 2,495 property titles to residents of 31 neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa that ASJ (formerly known as AJS) has advocated on behalf of throughout the years-long titling process. Just weeks later, 3,000 more titles were issued to families in San Pedro Sula, Honduras’ second-largest city.

ASJ Land Rights lawyer Gilda Espinal says some of the titles had been ready for the issue since March, but the government had been withholding them until it could amass a large number of titles to hand out at once in a big ceremony to attract media attention. Gilda says the Land Rights team helped keep the government from dragging its feet even longer.

730 titles went to families from Altos del Paraíso, a neighborhood perched high on Tegucigalpa’s northeastern rim. The titles open up a plethora of new possibilities for the residents, including access to loans for home-improvement and for starting small businesses.

Juana Trejo, president of Altos del Paraíso’s neighborhood association, said “landlords” claiming to own the entire area had threatened residents for the last 18 years. But now, title in hand, Juana is no longer afraid. “For me, the land title is security that my family has a secure place to live. No one is going to come by and kick us out all of the sudden,” she says.

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By Elizabeth Hickel • April 29, 2025

Earlier this month, The Banner published a story written by Our Shared Ministr y by Karina Guevara and Elmer Salinas . The authors showcase the work that ASJ-Honduras is doing to help and support students in Honduras. Karina and Elmer tell the story of Genesis Garcia, an 8-year-old, whose family struggles to find consistent jobs. "Genesis Garcia Baquedano is 8 years old and lives with her older brother, Anderson, and their parents in Honduras. Her parents work hard to support their family. Genesis’s father is a painter who struggles to find consistent work, and her mother is a street vendor who spends long hours away from home." According to Karina and Elmer, although Genesis is a good student, she was struggling with reading, writing, and math. This is where the ASJ-Hondurans' program, Strong Communities , comes to be a blessing. "Through God’s grace, Genesis and her family were able to join the Strong Communities program facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, because the Spanish translation is Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa). Through the program, Genesis attended academic support sessions, where she impressed her tutors with her perseverance and enthusiasm. Now, Genesis’s teachers praise the program for the significant progress Genesis has been making at school." We are blessed to be able to help kids like Genesis and her family to be able to achieve their dreams and goals. You can read the full story HERE and learn more about the ASJ-Honduras Strong communities program HERE