Affordable housing restricted to residents age 55 and over could be coming to two of Little Compton’s most historic and recognizable buildings.

Little Compton Town Council members are speaking with housing advocates from The Church Community Housing Corporation (CCHC), a Newport-based affordable housing non-profit, to discuss the possibility of building mixed use senior affordable housing units in the historic Odd Fellows Hall and the Fire Barn.

Under early discussions, four or five housing affordable housing units would be built between the two buildings, with the town's senior center going into the Odd Fellows’ first floor. The barn would see the construction of a dedicated community meeting room.

The town has been working on improved senior services for some time now, and a recent survey of town seniors showed that the vast majority of residents support a space specifically designated for seniors.

Council vice president Victoria Talbot was inspired to contact the CCHC after seeing Gov. Daniel McKee praise the non-profit for developing 54 affordable senior housing units in Portsmouth, which will share amenities with the town’s new senior center.

“It was fascinating since Little Compton has some of the same issues with aging buildings and the need for a senior center,” she said.

Both buildings have worn many hats over their nearly 200 years, and have been used for everything from housing fire apparatus to serving as a jail. Odd Fellows, which was built in 1840, is currently used for meetings by community groups. But if the partnership goes forward, those currently meeting there would move next door to the fire barn, which was built around 1870. Both buildings are listed on Rhode Island’s National Historic Registry.

The top floor of Odd Fellows was closed recently after the state fire marshal found it out of compliance with fire safety codes, including a lack of sprinklers and broken elevator. The town council has until April to go back to the fire marshal with a plan on how to address these deficiencies.

Meanwhile, the council has been working with Tiverton-based architect Melissa Hutchinson to study the future of the two buildings. When presenting her findings at a council meeting earlier this month, she said affordable housing would offer obvious, and hidden, benefits.

“The benefit of having the affordable housing on the second floor of the Odd Fellows building is that we can eliminate the elevator,” she said, as buildings do not need to have an elevator if they are residential.

As for the housing aspect, CCHC would fund construction with grants, while other issues could also receive grant funding from other sources. Units built would be deed-restricted to applicants age 55 or older.

“We’re doing our due diligence and we’re working hard,” councilor Patrick McHugh said. “Here’s an option that doesn’t put the burden on the taxpayers.”