Traditional individual mailboxes have been a staple for homeowners for over 100 years, but now the postal service wants to change that for people in newly developed communities.

Homeowners living in newly constructed neighborhoods will have a longer walk to get their mail after the postal service introduced a new mailbox regulation in 2020.

The regulation requires a central mailing unit--called cluster box units-- instead of personal mailboxes for residents in new communities.

A developer in Canfield has mixed feelings about this rule.

"We would [rather] everybody have individual mailboxes, but this is kind of just the hand we were dealt so we had to install it," Allison Sedoris, Stonebridge Neighborhood developer said. 

Each person will have their own box and lock key to collect their mail and a space for outgoing mail. The Postal Service says the units will help increase delivery times, decrease their costs, and reduce dog bites for letter carriers.

One homeowner, who did not want to share his name, says it's unfair that his neighbor, who moved in the development years ago, has a mailbox and he doesn't.
Another homeowner, who also wished to remain anonymous,  echoed that same sentiment.

"I think one of the things you expect when you move into a neighborhood with a single family dwelling that the mail gets delivered to your house or to your porch or to your mailbox."