Final answer:
Early Jamestown settlers faced severe hardships, thus they lived in crude shelters rather than traditional houses, often contending with starvation, disease, and conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists in Jamestown faced severe hardships and struggles which made traditional housing difficult to maintain. During the earliest years of the settlement, instead of typical houses, people lived in crude shelters, and due to the desperation during harsh times, such as "the starving time" in the winter of 1609-1610, they resorted to extreme measures for survival. As the colony eventually found economic success through tobacco, housing improved, but early on, the settlers had to contend with a harsh environment, disease, starvation, and conflict with Native peoples, notably the Powhatan tribe. The multi-level buildings mentioned in the provided information appear to be from a different time period and location than the initial Jamestown settlement and are not directly related to the early housing conditions in Jamestown itself.