New lenses. Better levers.
Luke Teater is an applied housing economist and the principal of Thrive Economics. His work integrates policy analysis with economic, demographic, and administrative data to deliver actionable insights on housing supply, affordability, and the regulatory and financial barriers and incentives that shape local housing markets.
Luke helped design the financing architecture behind Colorado's Proposition 123 — building tools that don't just spend public money but multiply it, by targeting state dollars at the gaps in project capital stacks where they can best catalyze private investment. In its first two years, Prop 123's financing tools have leveraged state funds at a nearly 8:1 ratio, unlocking $2.3 billion in total housing investment and financing over 7,200 new affordable homes.
Previously, Luke served as Chief Economist and Deputy Director for Tax and Economic Development of the Colorado Office of State Planning and Budgeting under Governor Polis, where he led production of the state's quarterly economic and revenue forecasts, chaired the Governor's Revenue and Economic Advisory Committee, and advised on major fiscal and economic policy — including Colorado's COVID-19 economic response. Before state government, he analyzed credit risk and subsidy costs for federal lending programs in housing and economic development — working with clients including HUD, FHFA, and the Department of Energy — and led a high-profile engagement at the U.S. Treasury forecasting all federal revenues, expenditures, and financing needs during the 2012 federal debt limit negotiations. He also lived in Kolkata, India, for three years, where he founded a social enterprise.
Luke's research spans housing and land economics, real estate finance, land use and zoning, property taxation, and the interaction between local market regulations, incentives, and housing affordability. He collaborates with academic researchers, policy organizations, and government agencies to produce data-driven research and analysis that informs and shapes housing policy debates.
Education
MBA — University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business.
BA — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Government Experience
Five years in the Colorado Governor's Office including as Chief Economist. Ten years' experience consulting for federal, state, and local government agencies.