AIDS Issues Update
Housing Works Mourns the Loss of Dennis De Leon
Housing Works mourns the loss today of Dennis deLeon, who served as Executive Director of the Latino Commission on AIDS for nearly 20 years. Deleon spent much of the last six months in hospice care in Rivington House. He had been living with HIV for more than 25 years.
Deleon served as cochair and then chair of the Housing Works Board of Directors from 1990 to 1996. Prior to taking the position at the Latino Commission, Dennis served for four years as New York City’s Human Rights Commissioner, appointed by Mayor David Dinkins.
“Dennis was an outspoken leader in the AIDS community, not only in New York, but around the nation, in particular advocating for Latino inclusion and the development of strategies that would address the disproportionate rates of HIV infection among Latinos throughout the country. His efforts led to the first Latino National AIDS Agenda that was released two years ago,” said Housing Works President and CEO Charles King. “Housing Works will always be in his debt for the leadership he provided in our early years, when we never had enough money but always believed we could do anything we dreamed.”
We will post information about services for deLeon when they become available.
Comments (1)
Posted by Former Housing Works front line worker, December 16, 2009 at 11:52pm
thank you for posting this info about our beloved bro. dennis deLeon,
yes, i remember when dennis was chair of the board of housing works… back when we couldn’t make a doctor’s appt because our coverage was NOT paid, despite the *&%Q@! we were told, dennis fought for us, fought to have our insurance paid before management was paid, healthcare b4 *&@!%-CARE. Okay, life is complicated, i ain’t naming everyting here. BUT, I do remember the fightin’ lion side of bro. dennis and so much LOVE to you and MUCH thank you to you, bro. dennis for your very good life. And so much after hours helping afro-latino msm brothers to help our own. Thank You. Blessings. Much love.