Exhibit 31-2
                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Melanie R. Wenk, 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-15e and 15d-15e 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  independent registered 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: October 9, 2009, 2009



         /s/ Melanie R. Wenk
         -------------------
         Vice-President - Chief Financial Officer of WNC & Associates, Inc.