Key facts
- USPS has stopped mail delivery to rebuilt homes in Lahaina following the 2023 wildfires.
- The agency cites a policy treating reconstruction as 'new development', requiring sufficient new homes for route re-establishment.
- Survivors must travel over two miles to the main post office to collect their mail.
- The former downtown Lahaina post office, damaged by fire, will permanently close.
- USPS has faced budget shortfalls and implemented cost-saving measures.
- Hawaii's congresswoman and the mayor of Lahaina are pressuring USPS to reinstate home delivery.
Two months after the devastating August 2023 wildfire destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaii, residents returning to rebuild are finding themselves in a bureaucratic bind with the United States Postal Service (USPS). Many survivors have discovered that their mail delivery has been halted, despite their mailboxes remaining intact.
USPS has informed residents that their rebuilt homes are being treated as 'new development' under current policy, meaning street delivery will not resume until a sufficient number of new homes are completed. This classification has sparked confusion and anger, particularly in a town that is centuries old and a designated national historic landmark.
Residents like Calvin Cox and Kesa Ferguson have experienced significant difficulties due to the lack of mail service. Cox reported missing important notices that led to insurance policies lapsing, while Ferguson was told her address had been 'eliminated' from delivery routes. The situation is particularly hard for the elderly, who are accustomed to home delivery and now must travel over two miles to the main post office, which often has long lines and limited staff.
The former downtown Lahaina post office, damaged in the fire, is slated for permanent closure, further exacerbating the problem. Residents have expressed frustration, noting that mail carriers still drive past their homes to deliver to unaffected blocks just a few doors down.
The USPS has been struggling with budget shortfalls and has implemented job cuts and facility closures. This situation in Lahaina has drawn criticism from local authorities, including Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda and Lahaina Mayor Richard Bissen, who are actively pressuring the USPS to reinstate home delivery for the fire survivors.