As housing prices rise and the median income remains idle, Vancouverites are looking at creative ways to survive in the city. In order to buy a house in Vancouver the average person needs to be bringing in almost $150 000 per annum. Contrast this minimum income with the average individual income of $41 000 per year and the problem of affordability—or lack thereof–emerges. Stated starkly, the average family of two clearly cannot purchase a home. To address this problem, I propose we expand our views of marriage and aim to form families of four. Polyamory, if you will.

The economic advantages of polyamory are huge. By living together, these families of four will be able to pool their incomes, more easily purchasing a home in Vancouver. Additionally, by reducing the total number of families, demand for housing will shift left on the supply curve and eventually lead to an overall drop in housing prices. Housing prices will continue to fall as these polyamorous families satisfy their need to have children with fewer babies per capita. This drop in the birth rate will decrease the population of Vancouver with an accompanying decrease in the demand for housing. With the adoption of this new way of living, Vancouver may soon become an affordable city to live in.

Tencer, Daniel. “Here’s The Income You Need To Buy An Average House Across Canada.” Huffington Post. N.p., 11 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

Gold, Kerry. “For Vancouver, Housing and Income Don’t Add up.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., 07 June 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/07/24/debunking-four-myths-about-polyamory/

Put differently, when is it no longer financially worthwhile for Canadian society to keep you alive? These are the unspoken questions now being asked aloud in our society today.

Doctors have ethics; economists have opportunity costs: both have the following dilemma:

As we develop as a society our doctors are becoming increasingly good at keeping us alive longer.  But what is the opportunity cost of this additional lifespan worth it? Doctors consider quality of life arguments (opportunity), economists the financial burden to society (costs).

Your last year alive is costly. In fact, in Canada ‘about 25 per cent of all health-care costs are devoted to caring for patients in their last year of life’ (Globe and Mail November 28 2011, p. 1). Pretty expensive, most would say. These numbers, however, are silent when it comes to the quality—or value—of these last months of life: over 50 billion dollars to taxpayers. Money, that could be spent elsewhere in the health care system—or outside the health care system—and give a better return—certainly longer than the twelve-month window once you die. And consider those last twelve months if it was you or a loved one or a friend: loss of your mobility if you’re stuck in a hospital and often a painful experience leading up to your certain death.

Can things be done differently, you ask?

A new concept in healthcare was discussed on Freakonomics Radio recently. Instead of living your last days attached to a machine you receive a portion of the money that would have been spent on your medical bills and are encouraged to go on vacation, or pass down the money to your family. Put starkly, you’re being given a discount for your death. Everyone benefits. Perhaps.

The benefits—or opportunities—of this potential program sound great on their own: more vacation, helping your family, saving tax dollars and increasing hospital space for younger people (those likely to give a better return than twelve months alive). Our society has to decide an ethical dilemma: Is the opportunity cost of one more year with this person worth it? By marketing the advantages to the ‘stakeholders’ (Freeman, 2009), or in this case taxpayers and loved ones of those affected, the apparent marginal benefit will increase and our society will learn to see end of life care in a new light sufficiently surpassing the opportunity cost of one more year.

What would you do?

“How Much Does Dying Cost Canadians?” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.

Levitt, Stevan D., and Stephan J. Dubner. “Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?”.” Freakonomics Radio. N.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.

Freeman, Edward. “What Is Stakeholder Theory.” 15 Sept. 2015. Lecture.

Geoba.se: Gazetteer – The World – Life Expectancy – Top 100+ By Country (2015) Web. 15 Sept. 2015.

“Canada’s Health Care Spending Growth Slows.” Canada’s Health Care Spending Growth Slows. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.

Image created by Julien Hart On excel. Statistics previously cited.