Rudy Soto to lead national tribal housing council
The Shoshone Bannock tribal member and former USDA official takes over as NAIHC fights for stronger funding
Rudy Soto at the Department of Agriculture in Washington in 2023 (USDA photo by Tom Witham)
Rudy Soto has been named Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Council, the organization announced. NAIHC represents more than 250 tribal housing programs across the United States, advocating for federal support and policy reforms to address housing shortages in Native communities.
Soto, a member of the Shoshone Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of USDA’s Office of External & Intergovernmental Affairs and as USDA’s Rural Development State Director for Idaho. In those roles, he worked on federal rural development programs and intergovernmental relations, supporting initiatives that impacted tribal and rural communities.
Before joining the USDA, Soto worked in federal policy and tribal advocacy. He was a legislative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he covered issues related to energy, environment, agriculture, and tribal affairs. He later served as the legislative director for the National Indian Gaming Association, a trade organization that represents tribal gaming enterprises, and worked with the Western Leaders Network, a coalition of tribal and local elected officials focused on land, water, and environmental policies.
NAIHC has long called for increased federal investment in tribal housing, pointing to decades-long infrastructure deficits and funding disparities. Tribal nations face some of the highest rates of overcrowding and inadequate housing in the country. Soto’s appointment comes as the organization continues pushing for greater tribal access to federal housing resources.
Originally from Nampa, Idaho, Soto is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard and holds a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University.
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