who lives in a van down by the river

In reality, it’s impossible to say definitively who lives in a van down by the river. There might be many people who choose this lifestyle.

However, the phrase “living in a van down by the river” is most likely a reference to a famous Saturday Night Live (SNL) character named Matt Foley.

Foley, played by comedian Chris Farley, was a motivational speaker who used to warn teenagers about the consequences of bad choices. His most famous line involved a cautionary tale about ending up “a 35-year-old, eating a steady diet of government cheese, thrice divorced, and living in a van down by the river!”