David Peery is the Founder and Executive Director of the Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity. Despite having a law degree, David Peery found himself homeless and living on the streets of Miami due to a bizarre intersection of a false arrest, unlawful self-help eviction, the loss of all of his possessions, and a job lay-off during the height of the 2008 recession. It became clear that homelessness isn’t due to personal irresponsibility, addiction or mental illness, but is deeply rooted in poverty, racism and our societal failure to ensure that housing is a fundamental human right. David became the federal class representative in the Pottinger v City of Miami consent decree that protected rights for unhoused persons in the City of Miami. He is active in several national homeless rights organizations, including serving as co-chair of the National Consumer Advisory Board, and Secretary of the Board of Directors for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council; and twice serving as interim Director of Community Organizing for the National Coalition for the Homeless. David has a law degree from George Washington University and works as a grant writer and health care regulatory compliance consultant.