Governor Christie says the programs the state is designing to help residents recover from Hurricane Sandy will try to maintain the character of Jersey Shore towns.

Christie says the state wants to use billions of dollars in federal Sandy aid to provide grants for residents to rebuild and elevate their homes.

 “We want people to be able to afford their homes and in the long haul if flood insurance becomes prohibitive it will change the character of the shore because only people who have greater means will be able to afford to have a home at the shore any longer. We don’t want to see that over the long term.”

Christie says some devastated communities where decades-old homes were destroyed will never look and feel the same again.

He says they’ll have to be rebuilt better and stronger, and people will have to learn to appreciate the new character those towns will have.