NILAND- Three years after a devastating fire destroyed the Niland post office, residents of the small, rural community continue to grapple with unreliable mail service. The absence of a functioning post office has left North End residents frustrated, as they rely on a mail truck that often experiences mechanical issues, disrupting access to critical mail like ballots, bills, and medications.
In interviews, community members consistently expressed their desire for a permanent post office to restore reliable service.
County and State Efforts to Address the Crisis
Sen. Alex Padilla, former Sen. Laphonza Butler, and Rep. Raul Ruiz sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on April 19, 2024, voicing their frustration over the ongoing closure. “The Postal Service has provided some service through a mail truck, but this cannot be a long-term substitute for a permanent post office,” they wrote, noting the truck’s frequent breakdowns.
They emphasized that rural communities like Niland depend on mail for essential services, including voting and healthcare. In a Senate hearing on April 29, 2024, Butler pressed DeJoy about the delay. She highlighted that the fire in February 2022 rendered Niland’s only post office inoperable, yet over two years later, no progress had been made. DeJoy acknowledged the situation was “not acceptable” and cited efforts to address such issues, but over a year later, no tangible progress has been made.
Rep. Ruiz, in a video posted on Facebook on August 27, 2024, stood inside the burned post office, calling the current mail service “inadequate” and urging the Postal Service to establish a timeline for rebuilding. The destroyed post office was a leased facility, complicating efforts to replace it, according to John Hyatt, a USPS strategic communications specialist.
