Exhibit 31-1
                                 CERTIFICATIONS

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

     1.   I have reviewed this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of WNC CALIFORNIA
          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-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  for the
          registrant and we have:

               (a)  Designed such  disclosure  controls and procedures 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 auditors and the audit committee of the
          registrant's  board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
          functions):


               (a)  All  significant  deficiencies in the design or operation of
                    internal   controls   which  could   adversely   affect  the
                    registrant's  ability  to  record,  process,  summarize  and
                    report   financial   data  and  have   identified   for  the
                    registrant's  auditors any material  weaknesses  in internal
                    controls; 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: January 25, 2005




     /s/  Wilfred N. Cooper Jr.
     --------------------------

     President and Chief Executive Officer of WNC & Associates, Inc.