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 redent 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: February 9, 2004




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

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