The United States is in the midst of a worsening affordable housing crisis. Poverty levels and the average price of rent are on the rise across the nation, and specifically in Iowa, which is contributing to an increase in housing instability. There are many approaches to fixing the issue of housing instability, but one stands out as a simple and seamless incorporation into Iowa’s current legal system: eviction expungement. Evictions in Iowa now leave a permanent mark on a tenant’s record, whether the tenant wins or loses their case. This lifelong record makes it much more difficult for tenants to find future housing, especially for low-income tenants who can afford only select accommodations. Because affordable housing is becoming scarcer, an eviction on a tenant’s record will result in lifelong housing challenges. This punishment is not only severe, but it is wholly inconsistent with the purpose of long-term punishments: dissuading future offending. Many circumstances that result in lawful eviction are beyond the tenant’s control. In those circumstances, the law subjects the tenant, an “innocent offender,” to a similar method of punishment as is used for violent criminals. By incorporating eviction expungement—specifically, Minnesota’s process of mandatory expungements— all Iowan renters, and especially low-income renters, would be relieved from the lifelong punishment currently imposed upon them.