Castro, Bonamici, Matsui, Casar, and Moylan Urge Postmaster General DeJoy to Replace Neighborhood Cluster Boxes, Address Damaging Changes to USPS Policy

September 16, 2024

Castro, Bonamici, Matsui, Casar, and Moylan Urge Postmaster General DeJoy to Replace Neighborhood Cluster Boxes, Address Damaging Changes to USPS Policy

WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) led four of his colleagues - Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Greg Casar (D-TX-35), and James Moylan (R-Guam) in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing bipartisan concerns about recent changes to USPS policy that have damaged public faith in the reliability of the agency.

"For over a year, thousands of our constituents have not had functional mailboxes after USPS suddenly abandoned a longstanding practice of maintaining and replacing their community cluster boxes used for centralized mail delivery. Our offices have received many requests for assistance from constituents who are no longer able to count on USPS for reliable mail delivery. Many of our constituents - including seniors and people with disabilities - must now make inconvenient and lengthy trips to retrieve essential mail such as Social Security checks and medications from their local post office… The USPS cannot reasonably expect residents to suddenly bear the cost of maintaining cluster boxes. This shift in responsibility is not only poor practice but also poor governance. We urge you to work with the listed neighborhoods to install new and reliable cluster boxes. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter," the members wrote.

The letter references more than a dozen San Antonio neighborhoods that grappled with ongoing challenges related to USPS cluster box policy, including:

• Oakmont Downs- Stable Knoll Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78249
• Hunter's Chase II- Hunting Arrow St., San Antonio, Texas 78253
• Parkwood- Hamlen Park Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78254
• The Mirabella Apartment Homes- Bandera Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78228
• Villages of Westcreek- White Cross St., San Antonio, Texas 78221
• Levy Townhomes- Betty Levy St., San Antonio, Texas 78227
• Northpark West- Park Vista Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78250
• Great Northwest- Timber Place St., San Antonio, Texas 78250
• Northwest Crossing- Sidbury Circle St., San Antonio, Texas 78250
• Woller Creek- Woller Creek St., San Antonio, Texas 78249
• Westover Elms- Talavera Trail St., San Antonio, Texas 78251
• Hunters Chase- Woller Valley St., San Antonio, Texas 78249
• Villas at Northwest Crossing- Still Forest St., San Antonio, Texas 78250
• Meadows at the Reserve- Weston St., San Antonio, Texas 78251
• Eagles Bluff- Eagle Ledge St., San Antonio, Texas 78249
• Springs Vistas- Tiger Grove St., San Antonio, Texas 78251

The full letter can be viewed hereand below.

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,

We write today with concerns about the United States Postal Service (USPS) practices that have damaged public faith in the reliability of the USPS. For over a year, thousands of our constituents have not had functional mailboxes after USPS suddenly abandoned a longstanding practice of maintaining and replacing their community cluster boxes used for centralized mail delivery. Our offices have received many requests for assistance from constituents who are no longer able to count on USPS for reliable mail delivery. Many of our constituents - including seniors and people with disabilities - must now make inconvenient and lengthy trips to retrieve essential mail such as Social Security checks and medications from their local post office. This letter includes a non-exhaustive list of neighborhoods in our districts that have been without functional mailboxes for many months. We write to urge the USPS to promptly replace these cluster boxes and ensure that Americans can once again count on our nation's mail system.

USPS has controlled access to cluster boxes for many of these neighborhoods by holding access keys, replacing locks as needed, and providing keys to new residents. According to USPS, the Postal Service is responsible for providing residents with a lock and key to their postal-owned cluster box.1 However, while USPS continues to control access to these neighborhood's cluster boxes, it now disclaims all responsibility for the costs associated with maintaining these units.

The USPS now asserts that the responsibility for these mailboxes lies with homeowners' associations (HOAs) and neighborhoods. This abrupt change leaves neighborhoods scrambling to raise thousands of dollars to replace the cluster boxes, though some neighborhoods have received sporadic relief from the USPS. The USPS has inconsistently provided new cluster boxes to certain neighborhoods while leaving others without functional mailboxes. In June 2024, the USPS installed new cluster boxes for the Copper Canyon neighborhood in San Antonio and apologized for any inconvenience caused, after continued pressure from residents and local news stations.2 Unfortunately, many other neighborhoods still lack serviceable mailboxes. USPS's actions highlight their inconsistent application of policy and undermine the public's trust in a vital government service. Our constituents deserve consistency from the USPS and are rightfully wondering why some neighborhoods receive a new cluster box while others watch without any remedy in sight.

The USPS cannot reasonably expect residents to suddenly bear the cost of maintaining cluster boxes. This shift in responsibility is not only poor practice but also poor governance. We urge you to work with the listed neighborhoods to install new and reliable cluster boxes. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

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