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