In 1975 I was working on the Anaheim stadium bridge that crosses the Santa Ana river. I never saw any homeless people near the job site. In 2012 while taking the first exit past Anaheim stadium bridge which I believe is Chapman Ave the river bank was covered with blue tents. It became so bad the people we're unable to safely travel on the bike path. Ultimately the city Anaheim forcibly removed the occupants. Countless syringes and drug paraphernalia was removed but my favorite was there was approximately 2 tons of human feces.
On 9-11 I was working on a gymnasium off of Central downtown LA there might have been 2 or 3 homeless people to be seen. Now you have to walk in the street because sidewalks are covered with trash and homeless
On my last vacation while travelling the San Joaquin valley I saw countless people living under or near freeway bridges!
So yes the situation has gotten worse. I have never been homeless but I have slept in a barn till I got my first paycheck! I think the horses were glad to see me go
