Residents across Houston have been reaching out, sharing concerns about ongoing mail delivery problems, especially broken or damaged cluster mailboxes. We understand the frustration, and thanks you to change is happening.
Our team, led by KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis, has uncovered the extent of the issue, prompting a fresh response from lawmakers. They’re now pushing for solutions to address the challenges faced by those dealing with unreliable mail service.
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Cluster mailbox issues across Houston and Texas
A cluster mailbox is a central area in a neighborhood where people collect their mail. It’s no secret that the state of the U.S. Postal Service’s cluster mailboxes has become a real issue. Many of you have reached out when your neighborhood’s group boxes were left damaged, rusty, or toppled, with no repairs or replacements in sight. But now, a San Antonio congressman is stepping up to address the problem.
Congressman Joaquin Castro takes action
U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro has taken a stand, writing directly to U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy. In his letter, Castro highlights the concerns of his constituents and others across the country, stating:
“We write today with concerns about the United States Postal Service (USPS) practices that have damaged public faith in the reliability of the USPS.”
Years of unresolved issues with mail delivery
Whether due to age, vandalism, or severe weather, neighborhood cluster mailboxes have long been a source of frustration. For years, the Postal Service handled repairs and replacements—but that seems to be changing.
Mark and Cindy Kochan, who have lived in their neighborhood for 35 years, shared their story. After their mailbox cluster was damaged, they were told to split the cost of a new box with their neighbors, totaling over $1,400.
In another case, David Miniter’s HOA in Kingwood paid $6,800 for five new cluster boxes, yet the neighborhood waited over five months for them to arrive.
Congressman Castro calls for action
In response to stories like these, Castro, along with four other members of Congress, has asked the Postal Service to return to its former policy of covering the costs of mailbox maintenance.
“We’re asking the postal service to do only what they have done for years, which is to pay for those things and it’s an issue across the country,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro.
In the letter to DeJoy, the group wrote:
“The Postal Service 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.”
Castro also noted that the Postal Service claims some of these responsibilities belong to homeowners, based on contracts made with developers when certain neighborhoods were built. However, no evidence of these contracts has been provided.
“The Postal Service told some of our neighborhoods that when their developments were built out, the postal service had contracts with the developers to do certain things, including maintenance and so forth. And that these responsibilities would revert to the homeowners, but they’ve not been able to produce any of those contracts or anything so far for us to show us that that was in fact the case,” said Castro.
(See full letter below.)
What’s next?
As of now, the U.S. Postal Service has not responded to Congressman Castro’s letter. Castro is hopeful that this issue will gain more traction in Congress and the Senate, encouraging lawmakers to pressure the Postal Service to once again take responsibility for these boxes.
If you’re dealing with a similar issue, you can contact your U.S. representative for help.
Do you have a topic idea of question for Amy Davis? Email AskAmy@kprc.com.
