For years, residents of the housing complexes managed by the Stephens Housing Authority have relied on free PO boxes to receive their mail. These PO boxes, provided by the Stephens Post Office, was offered to all the Stephens Housing Authority Residents upon signing their lease for housing. Every resident on Davis Drive, Rose Terrace, and Belafonte. I am so confused as to what occurred to bring about this change without clarifying the problem. It is the Housing Authority Responsibility to ensure safe and reliable access to mailboxes. This is not the responsibility of the residents.

However, on June 23, 2026, Supervisor Kristin Jones from the Stephens Post Office informed us that this invaluable service is coming to an end. The Housing Authority has committed to installing clustered mailboxes to facilitate direct delivery for tenants but has yet to follow through. After that we received another update from The Stephens Housing Authority Board of Commissioners: Stating that they had met on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and discussed the issue of the Housing Authority accommodating residents with post office boxes. It was decided and board resolution # 600 was passed, which states that residents would be responsible for paying for their PO boxes when they are due to renew at the Post Office. Then the letter goes on saying that the Post Office has been providing free boxes to residents in the past but will no longer continue to do so. The residents will have to pay a yearly fee of $72 or every six months in the amount of $36. Be informed, that this is an issue with the post office and the Housing Authority has nothing to do with the Post Office rules and guidelines. And if residents have any questions regarding your box fee renewal it should be addressed to the post office for better clarity. I fill like both parties are responsible. I do not know what is going on because none of the Housing Authority Residents were there to voice their concerns about this situation.  The Housing Authority is wishy-washy they say one thing and then do something completely different. If the Housing Authority cannot afford to purchase clustered mailboxes maybe they could have suggested; the residents purchasing their own personal residential mailbox. At least that is a one-time purchase, instead of adding another bill to the low-income community in Stephens Housing Authority.

It is crucial that the Stephens Housing Authority takes immediate action to rectify this oversight. We propose the following solutions: ensure that temporary solutions like free PO boxes remain available until the promised clustered mailboxes are fully operational; prioritize the installation of secure and accessible clustered mailboxes at housing complexes; provide clear timelines and updates to residents regarding the progress of mailbox installations.

Mail services are an essential component of daily life. Without reliable access to mail, tenants face unnecessary challenges and missed opportunities. It is not just an inconvenience but a barrier to accessing critical services and maintaining quality of life. The phrases "working toward" and "in the future" are no longer sufficient—our community requires decisive action now.

We are calling on the stakeholders involved, including the Stephens Housing Authority and local government officials, to prioritize this issue and ensure a swift resolution. They owe it to the tenants to provide them with the basic amenity of reliable mail delivery.

Sign this petition to urge the Stephens Housing Authority to expedite the installation of mailboxes, ensuring that all residents have seamless access to their mail, not just when it's convenient, but as a guaranteed service to their apartments.