Grant Joins NAACP Calls for Investments to Protect Grand Rapids Neighborhoods from Extreme Heat

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 30, 2026 — State Rep. Kristian Grant (D-Grand Rapids) last week joined the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP, additional community leaders and public health advocates at Heartside Park in Grand Rapids to highlight the growing impact of extreme heat on historically underserved neighborhoods. Speakers discussed how decades of underinvestment have made some neighborhoods more vulnerable to extreme heat. They called for continued investments in trees, cooling infrastructure, public health and other solutions that help communities become more resilient.

Grant issued the following statement after the press conference:

“This week’s heat wave serves as yet another reminder that the time to act is now. Every family deserves to live in a neighborhood where they can breathe clean air, enjoy safe parks and lead healthy lives, regardless of their ZIP code. As our climate continues to change and temperatures rise, we have a shared responsibility to invest in the communities that have too often been overlooked and left behind. That includes Black communities and communities of color that have borne the brunt of environmental inequities.

“I will not accept a future in which any community is left behind. We know too many have been in the past, and that must change. By expanding our tree canopy, investing in public health infrastructure and building more climate-resilient neighborhoods, we can protect people’s health and improve quality of life.”

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