The Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program was initiated with funds provided through the McKinney Act of 1987. During its first 4 years, the AEH program served over 100,000 homeless adults. In 1991, 34,000 adults participated in AEH programs in 31 states; nearly half were women. Approximately 60% of those served were between the ages of 25 and 44, and another 29% were between the ages of 16 and 24. Initially, AEH programs were based on either the development/capacity building, urban focus, services-to-women, or statewide approach. More recently, most states have tended to focus on the urban or statewide approach. Both on-site and off-site programs have been developed. The following are among the published recommendations concerning AEH program development: focus on the adult as a learner rather than as a member of a particular subgroup; use learner-centered approaches to give homeless adults the opportunity to control at least one area of their lives; use learners' life experiences as a basis for developing curricula that address the diverse experiences and characteristics of the adult homeless population; and provide access to the wide range of services needed by homeless persons by giving high priority to interagency collaboration. (Contains 8 references.) (MN)