Doc help for displaced Puerto Ricans

On top of all the other woes stemming from Hurricane Maria, some of the Puerto Ricans who fled from the island territory to New York City in the aftermath of the deadly 2017 storm are mired in a bureaucratic nightmare, says the head of a nonprofit dedicated to helping the newcomers.

Birth certificates. marriage licenses and other official documents were destroyed and currently can only be accessed in person, according to Victor Martinez, founder of Diaspora for Puerto Rico Inc.

“Many people came without their documents — basically nothing,” said Martinez, who estimates that 3,000 families have come to the New York City area since Maria struck. “It’s really difficult.”

The city would create an office to help Puerto Ricans get vital documents and apply for services here, under a forthcoming bill from City Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx).

“Puerto Rico is struggling not only with natural disasters, [but] also with man-made disasters at the hands of the Trump administration, which has withheld billions of dollars to sabotage the recovery of Puerto Rico,” he told the Daily News.

“At a time when Puerto Rico is in a state of humanitarian crisis, there’s an urgent need for a formal structure of communication, collaboration and coordination between New York City and Puerto Rico,” Torres added.

Along with helping Puerto Ricans get documents, the new entity, which would be called the Office of Puerto Rico-New York City Affairs, would promote cultural and economic partnerships between the Big Apple and the island.

Torres called it a “one-stop shop for displaced Puerto Ricans who have sought refuge in New York City.”

The office would also serve descendants of Puerto Ricans and help them apply for governmental programs and provide referrals to helpful organizations.

Historically, New York City has had the biggest population of Puerto Ricans outside the island. There were 176,417 people born in Puerto Rico and living in New York City in 2018, according to the U.S. census.