I went to college in DC, late 80’s to early 90’s. My morning run route took me on a lap around the White House every morning. There were homeless all over the place in DC back then. But there weren’t tent cities all over the place like this.
My Grandfather worked in DC after graduating University in 1931. Most of Arlington was corn fields, Tyson’s Corner was literally a country cross-roads with a stop sign, the site of the Pentagon was a black “freedman’s” village, and he would regularly see the Vice President and Cabinet members out at lunch at various taverns/restaurants near the White House.