A new report details how California spent millions of taxpayer dollars to keep the homeless from squatting in vacant properties owned by the state.

According to Fox News:

LOS ANGELES—The California Department of Transportation paid more than $13 million to have security at 120 vacant homes, Fox 11 reported exclusively.

The report said Caltrans paid $9 million to the state’s highway patrol from November to April and another $4 million to a private security firm for five months. Caltrans told the station in a statement that the homes were purchased 60 years ago when the state wanted to connect the 710 freeway to the 210 in Pasadena.

“Now that the project is no longer moving forward, our goal is to sell these homes and provide current and former tenants, as well as those who qualify for the Affordable Sales Program, a path to first-time homeownership,” the statement read.

…

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., whose district includes some of the homes in the San Gabriel Valley, said the homes should have been converted into affordable houses a while ago. She said Caltrans should get out of the housing business.

It is estimated that161,000 people are homeless in the state of California, the worst in the nation.