Living room on the Embarcadero: The story of an unhoused man in SF

Friday, November 10, 2023
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The I-Team's Dan Noyes decided to stop and talk with the man who set up an extravagant camp along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

It included two large couches with a view of the Ferry Building, an Oriental rug, a canopy, and power pirated from a street lamp.

MORE: Unhoused Bay Area woman sleeps in hearse with casket on top

In the short time we spent with Kenny Alexander, a drama unfolded, what we're calling "Kenny's Story In Three Acts."

The 40-year-old from Seattle opened up about his life on the street, his battle with addiction, the many friends lost to drugs, and those he saved from overdose. He also describes how a three-week stint in jail helped his brother finally kick fentanyl.

We discussed how to help unhoused people, but he bluntly told us he never wants to live indoors: "I feel liberated outside."

Then, when a sudden wind gust brought one of Kenny's paintings crashing down onto a car, he rethinks his encampment.

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