Over the last few weeks I’ve heard a great number of news stories describing the deplorable conditions that veterans of the war in Iraq have had to endure while being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including mold, rats, roaches, and substandard medical care. But while most of the nation found these revelations shocking, for me it was simply deja vu.

The District of Columbia is home to an estimated 2,400 homeless veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a long term resident of Franklin Shelter in downtown D.C. I shared a dorm with a number of them who continue to live in conditions that mirror or surpass those of the now notorious military hospital. At Franklin Shelter, black mold covers the ceiling and walls of the shower rooms and raw sewage drips down upon the heads of those attempting to utilize the toilets on the first floor. Rats, roaches, lice, and bedbugs run rampant in the facility, making life intolerable for residents. Water damage continues to deteriorate the structure as the District drags its feet on long-promised renovations.

As for medical care, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins Medical Center homeless veterans are more likely to have both chronic physical and mental health conditions than the general homeless population, but nearly half rely solely on the medical services provided at shelters, which usually means standing in line to receive less than comprehensive treatment from the back of a van.

One of my friends, a ten year veteran of the US Navy, told me that at the Southeast Veterans Service Center in D.C. there are already homeless veterans filing in from the current war. As we begin to re-evaluate our commitment to the men and women who have fought under the banner of the American flag on the other side of the world we must not forget those who continue to suffer, unacknowledged, right under our noses.