Multiple sources report that Maui Mayor Richard Bissen sent a formal letter on September 2, 2026, to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner urging the USPS to preserve and restore direct home mail delivery for Lahaina residents whose homes were destroyed in the 2023 wildfires and are now being rebuilt. Bissen argues that reconstructed homes on existing residential lots should not be reclassified as new development and forced to use centralized cluster mailboxes, a change that could create hardships for returning families, kūpuna, and residents with disabilities.
- Mayor Bissen’s September 2, 2026 letter to Postmaster General David Steiner calls on USPS to restore direct home delivery to rebuilt Lahaina properties, not require centralized or cluster mailboxes.
- Bissen argues Lahaina is not a new subdivision and lacks the easements, common areas, or county-owned land needed to properly install cluster mailboxes.
- The mayor expressed particular concern for kūpuna, people with disabilities, and those with limited mobility who would face hardship traveling to centralized pickup locations.
- Some returning Lahaina homeowners are already experiencing the problem firsthand — residents report mail carriers driving past their rebuilt homes without stopping, while nearby unaffected houses continue to receive delivery. (The Guardian)
- Resident Calvin Cox, who moved back to his rebuilt home in February 2026, made multiple trips to the post office seeking restored delivery and was told routes hadn’t been re-established; he eventually filed a federal complaint with USPS headquarters after months without resolution. (The Guardian)
- Survivor Pam Reader noted that many Lahaina mailboxes — including her family’s hand-painted turquoise one — survived the fire, but have since been rendered useless as mail carriers bypass rebuilt homes. (The Guardian)
Sources
- Mauirecovers: News: Mayor Bissen urges USPS to preserve home mail delivery for Lahaina residents rebuilding after wildfires
- Maui County: Mayor urges USPS to preserve home mail delivery for Lahaina residents rebuilding after wildfires
- Maui Now: Mayor Bissen urges USPS to preserve home mail delivery for Lahaina residents rebuilding after wildfire
- The Guardian: Razed by wildfire, erased by USPS: Hawaiians fight to restore mail delivery
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