Kiki Dukes, 37, recently moved back to Denver from California, where she’s originally from. This is her third time living in Denver, and she says she’s here to stay now that she has a house. Despite that, she still spends time on the 16th Street Mall, often just to hang out and enjoy the scene. She rejects the idea that homelessness always equals hardship, noting that with the right attitude, community, and resourcefulness, it can be a lifestyle choice. She shares examples of people she knows with full-time jobs who choose not to pay rent so they can instead spend their money on partying, drugs, and hotels.
Looking ahead, Kiki says she plans to be married with four kids in the next two years. She’ll be living between California, Las Vegas, and Denver, showing off her success to those who doubted her. She believes Denver in particular "was messing with her" the most, so she wants to show the city just how well she's doing. She finishes with the idea that her success is, in part, a way to “make them mad”—and that she’s totally okay with that.
