With humor, history and humbling questions, Living in America asks, “What is public housing? Why is public housing? And why is the waitlist full?”

Blending comedy with searing truth, Living in America: The Waiting List is Full unfolds through vignettes, original music, and a touch of variety-show flair. The result is a dynamic exploration of public housing—the struggles that stand between people and a place to call home, and the hope for an equitable system.

The ensemble traces U.S. housing policy from the 1930s to the present—redlining, underfunding, displacement, and encampments—revealing how decades of decisions have shaped today’s housing crisis. Woven throughout are intimate first-hand accounts that make the impact visible: growing up in “the projects,” navigating broken case management systems, and finding resilience within communities too often overlooked.