When we dropped support from OE (about 3.5 years ago) there were approx. 1,500 total i386 users in 400k+ active installations. The decision to drop was about saving time/effort during x86 development and was never about whether 32-bit things could be built. There are numerous other platforms that remain 32-bit which ensures a level of compatibility if you patch support back in.
GitHub - maideii/LibreELEC.tv-Intel-i386: Just enough OS for KODI might be worth a look if you self-build.