* USPS has confirmed 285 buildings across the country are partially or completely vacant. * Over 95% of the agency's 34,000+ buildings have not been reviewed since 2020—or ever. * Senator Joni Ernst has introduced the DISPOSAL Act to streamline federal property sales. * The vacant property problem is tied to USPS's ongoing network consolidation into larger Sorting & Delivery Centers. WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service has admitted it is struggling to manage hundreds of vacant and underutilized buildings across the country, according to a response provided to Senator Joni Ernst following a damning Inspector General report. The agency confirmed it has 285 buildings that are either partially or completely unused—a number that may actually be understated. ## Inspector General Sounds the Alarm The November 2025 report from the USPS Office of Inspector General painted a bleak picture of the agency's real estate management. According to the audit, USPS owns or leases more than 34,000 buildings nationwide. Over 95 percent of those properties have not been reviewed since 2020—or have never been reviewed at all. The OIG criticized the Postal Service for lacking reliable data on its own facilities, having an incomplete understanding of how much space sits idle, and failing to develop a comprehensive strategy for reducing excess property. "The internal system for tracking and managing properties does not accurately reflect the number of vacant sites," the report stated. ## Millions in Lost Revenue The inability to dispose of surplus properties has resulted in ongoing maintenance costs and millions in lost potential revenue. Empty buildings still require upkeep, security, and utilities—expenses that drain resources from an agency already [navigating significant financial challenges](/blog/usps-craft-transfer-rules). For letter carriers, the vacant building crisis is a visible symptom of the agency's broader [network consolidation efforts](/blog/usps-launches-last-mile-bidding-platform). As operations move to larger Sorting & Delivery Centers (S&DCs), smaller facilities are being left behind. ## Congressional Response: The DISPOSAL Act Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has responded by introducing the "Disposing of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offering for Sale And Lease" Act—better known as the DISPOSAL Act. The legislation aims to streamline the sale of federal buildings, making it easier for agencies like USPS to offload properties they no longer need. "The American taxpayer shouldn't be footing the bill for buildings that are collecting dust," Ernst said in a statement. ## Tied to Network Redesign The vacant building problem is directly linked to the Postal Service's ongoing Delivering for America plan, which involves consolidating mail processing and carrier operations into larger regional hubs. Under the plan, letter carriers are being relocated from smaller post offices to larger S&DCs, while mail processing is being restructured into Regional Processing & Distribution Centers (RPDCs) and Local Processing Centers (LPCs). In 2022 alone, more than 200 post offices and facilities began shedding operations as part of this consolidation. However, critics argue the agency has moved faster to consolidate operations than to dispose of the buildings left behind—creating a growing inventory of unused real estate. ## What Happens Next The OIG report included several recommendations for USPS leadership, including developing accurate property tracking systems and creating a formal strategy for disposing of excess space. USPS management agreed with the recommendations in principle but has not provided a timeline for implementation. For [carriers watching these changes unfold](/blog/nalc-contract-update), the vacant building issue is another reminder that the Postal Service's transformation is far from over.