Exhibit 31-1
                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Wilfred N. Cooper, Jr. certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of WNC HOUSING TAX CREDITS
   III, L.P.;

2. Based on my   knowledge,  this  quarterly  report does not contain any untrue
   statement of   a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
   make the   statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
   statements  were   made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
   this quarterly report;

3. Based on   my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
   information    included  in this  quarterly  report,  fairly  present  in all
   material   respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash
   flows of   the  registrant  as of, and for,  the  periods  presented  in this
   quarterly report;

4. The  registrant's    other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
   establishing and maintaining   disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
   in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15e and 15d-15e) for the registrant and we have:

    (a)  Designed   such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused such
         disclosure   controls   and   procedures  to  be  designed   under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including  its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
         us by others within  those entities,  particularly during the period in
         which this quarterly report is being prepared;

    (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls
         and procedures  and presented in this report our conclusions  about the
         effectiveness  of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

    (c)  Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change in the  registrant's  internal
         control over  financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most  recent   fiscal  quarter  that  has  materially  affected,  or is
         reasonably   likely to materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5. The   registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on
   our   most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
   the  registrant's    independent  registered  public  accounting firm and the
   audit  committee  of    the  registrant's  board  of  directors  (or  persons
   performing the equivalent functions):

    (a)  All  significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
         operation   of internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably  likely  to adversely affect in the registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

    (b)  Any  fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.

Date:  March 6, 2007




/s/ Wilfred N. Cooper, Jr.
--------------------------
President and Chief Executive Officer of WNC & Associates, Inc