SEATTLE, Washington (PNN) - December 18, 2012 - Across the country, tens of thousands of underemployed and jobless young people, many with college credits or work histories, are struggling to house themselves in the wake of the ongoing Second Great Depression, which has left workers between the ages of 18 and 24 with the highest unemployment rate of all adults.

Those who can move back home with their parents - the so-called boomerang set - are the lucky ones. But that is not an option for those whose families have been hit hard by the economy. Without a stable home address, they are an elusive group that mostly couch surfs or sleeps hidden away in cars or other private places, hoping to avoid the lasting stigma of public homelessness during what they hope will be a temporary predicament.

These young adults are the new face of a national homeless population; one that poverty experts and caseworkers say is growing. Yet the problem is mostly invisible. Most cities and states, focusing on homeless families, have not made special efforts to identify young adults, who tend to shy away from ordinary shelters out of fear of being victimized by an older, chronically homeless population.

“Years ago, you didn’t see what looked like people of college age sitting and waiting to talk to a crisis worker because they are homeless and on the street,” said Andrae Bailey, the executive director of the Community Food and Outreach Center, one of the largest charitable organizations in Florida. “Now that’s a normal thing.”

Los Angeles first attempted to count the number of young adults living on the street in 2011. It found 3,600, but the city had shelter capacity for only 17% of them.

Boston also attempted counts in 2010 and 2011. The homeless young adult population seeking shelter grew 3% to 12% of the 6,000 homeless people served over that period.

“It’s a significant enough jump to know that it’s also just the tip of the iceberg,” said Jim Greene, director of emergency shelters for the Boston Public Health Commission.