As March turned to April and the District’s social distancing mandate continued, residents of Ward 8 began to notice problems with their mail service: Their mail was coming late, or sometimes not at all; packages read as delivered even when they weren’t; and none of the personnel at their post office in Congress Heights appeared able to answer their questions.

After weeks of continued complaints, a story in DCist, and a letter from D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to the United States Postal Service, the mail service has finally responded to the accusations of faulty service in a letter to the delegate. The USPS says it is experiencing a shortage of mail workers at the same time that there’s an increase in the amount of mail to deliver, causing less reliable delivery.

“In regard to your specific question about the Congress Heights Station, that facility is experiencing a personnel shortage coupled with an increase in parcel volume,” reads the letter to Norton. “In response, the workload is being redistributed daily among the available carriers, and even managers and supervisors are being utilized as carriers and retail clerks until staffing levels improve. We are working to hire additional carriers but this process is complicated by the need to follow social distancing protocols, in accordance with CDC guidance, when administering training and new employee orientations.”

The letter also addressed concerns from Norton and Ward 8 residents that they haven’t been able to speak with anyone at the Congress Heights post office to clear up questions about their mail service.

“We regret that your constituents have been unable to speak by phone with Congress Heights Station staff. Management will ensure that all customer inquiries and phone calls are responded to in a timely manner,” the letter reads. “They can be reached at (202) 523-2122. Should your constituents believe that their concerns are not being sufficiently addressed locally, they may contact the Capital District Consumer and Industry Contact office at (202) 636-1200.”

In a press release on Monday, Norton thanked the USPS for their “timely response” to her letter.

Previously: 

Ward 8 Residents Say They Haven’t Been Getting Their Mail