Our History

strengthening the Bronx since 1982.

Children playing on a red rope climbing structure at a playground, wearing yellow t-shirts, with trees in the background.

For more than forty years, NIDC has been dedicated to strengthening the Northeast Bronx through community-led development.​

In the early 1980s, the Bronx was facing significant challenges. Disinvestment, deteriorating housing, and rising poverty were putting pressure on longtime residents and straining the fabric of neighborhood life. ​

In response, a coalition of healthcare institutions, faith-based organizations, and local leaders came together with a shared goal: to stabilize and uplift the community. ​

These included Albert Einstein Medical College, Montefiore Hospital, Beth Abraham Health Services, the Bronx Jewish Community Council, St. Lucy’s Church, and Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway.​

Out of this collaboration, Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation (NIDC) was born. Our earliest work focused on preserving the local housing stock, helping responsible landlords make critical repairs and standing with tenants facing neglect and unsafe conditions.​

As housing conditions improved, we expanded our focus to include afterschool programs for youth, launching our first site at P.S. 96 in 1988. Since then, our youth programming has grown to serve hundreds of young people across multiple schools and neighborhoods.​

Today, NIDC supports Bronx individuals and families across a wide range of needs—from education and housing to health access, economic opportunity, and economic development. Over four decades, we’ve remained committed to the same core idea: that our neighborhoods thrive when people are empowered, connected, and supported.​

Children and adults gathered at a neighborhood playground with a basketball court, some playing games and others watching, during a community event.
A girl with clown makeup, including red nose and red lipstick, having her face painted by another person, surrounded by a crowd.
A young girl in a denim jacket watering vegetable plants in a community garden.
Group of children and adults seated in an auditorium or theater, some smiling and looking at the camera, with several empty chairs in the foreground.
Two men in red sports uniforms playing basketball together indoors, with an American flag and colorful artwork on the wall behind them, and musical equipment on the floor.
Group of children and adults dressed in costumes for Halloween, standing in a parking lot with buildings and trees in the background.
A young girl wearing a pink shirt sitting at a table, reading a magazine with a picture of a person and a historical note about the 1900s.
Group of children outdoors making peace signs and smiling near a historic building.