A four-year wait to secure a home in Liss for a blind man and his guide dog has ended with joy and relief.

Matt Darkin is looking forward to a new chapter after finally securing a one-bedroom bungalow in his hometown village after nearly half a decade of struggle.

The 52-year-old has been cooped up in a friend’s house amid an increasingly desperate search to find suitable accommodation for him and his guide dog, Rose.

But after months of fruitless searches, disheartening setbacks and four years of sofa surfing, he has finally got a place of his own.

Mr Darkin received the call he thought he would never get two months ago and was finally given the keys on Friday, November 8.

The news was earlier shared with the 830 people who signed a petition launched last August to give Matt and Rose a permanent home in the village. The reaction has been one of universal joy with petition founder, Helen Evans, giving heartfelt thanks to everyone who signed ahead of his new chapter.

She said: “Matt is over the moon and wants me to thank everyone who has supported him.”

Matt wanted a bungalow with a garden for him and his dog as he was “born and bred” in Liss and needed familiar surroundings, having gone blind in his mid 20s.

But his disabilities didn’t guarantee the home he craved as he finished 12th out of 150 eligible places for a nearby one-bedroom bungalow after joining the housing register in 2021. He also missed out on almshouse in West Liss by one place with Mr Darkin calling the ongoing search “desperate” last year in an interview with The Post.

His plight has highlighted the dearth of options for people seeking social and affordable housing in East Hampshire.